Thank you, as always for your reviews - they really cheer up the cold English January mornings, I can tell you!
Christmas comes in three chapters and I am really sorry I couldn't post them before the Holidays. I would have liked to, but it would have been too much of a rush to cram them all in. Hopefully you are not too Christmased-out to enjoy Andi & Severus' Christmas.
Thanks to JessiokaFroka who casts her expert eye over my work for your better enjoyment.
Chapter Fourteen
Christmas -Part One
DE-MOB HAPPY
"This year to save me from tears..." Andi stretched to put the star on the very top of the Christmas tree. "I'll give it to someone special."
She heard the door behind her open, and turned.
Severus was standing stock still in the doorway, staring in her direction.
"Hi," she said, with a big smile on her face. "Do you like it?"
She jumped down from the chair she'd been standing on and went over to him, still smiling.
"Hagrid got it for me and Madam Pince found a book of Christmas spells that told me how to conjure up the decorations," She turned to admire the tree standing to the right of the fireplace. "Oh. I think I might have overdone it with the twinkles." She laughed.
"Had I wanted a drunken transvestite standing in the corner of my room, I would have invited Bellchambers for the evening." Severus put a large basket of greenery on the refectory table and swung his cloak from his shoulders.
"Don't you like it?" asked Andi, disappointed but not entirely surprised by the reaction. "I thought it brought a little festive spirit to the place."
"This room is my sanctuary from the Yuletide insanity that invades the castle at the end of term, and now I find it has followed me."
"Oh, bah humbug, Ebenezer. Oooohh I see you don't object to this kind of Yuletide insanity." She went to the basket and picked up a huge sprig of mistletoe. Looking at it with raised eyebrows, she said, "This is too big for a quick kiss, don't you think? A full scale shag more like."
"It is for my store cupboard," he said, taking it from her. He replaced it in the basket and then, rubbing his hands together, went over to the fireplace, taking a quick step to the left as he found the tree encroaching on his space. He scowled at it and held his hands towards the fire. "It is snowing."
"Oh fantastic! A white Christmas. I haven't had one of those for ages - 'Since there's no place to go; let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.'"
He said nothing.
"I expect you'd like a hot cup of something? Hot chocolate? Mulled wine?"
"Coffee will suffice, thank you."
Andi pointed her wand at the table and held her other arm out dramatically behind her in a fencing stance.
"Refictio! Hah! The queen of the bean strikes agean!" She picked up the steaming mug of coffee and took it to him.
"Thank you," he said, lowering himself into the armchair.
She smiled indulgently and then stepped up onto the chair again to tweak the decorations on the tree. She was wearing a short black and white tartan skirt and deliberately stretched so that it would ride up, knowing he was looking.
"The fire is slowly dying
And my dear, we're still 'goodbye-ing'
As long as you..." She thought better of the next line and substituted it for, "lalala...
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... "
"You are annoyingly effervescent this afternoon. Why?"
"I'm de-mob happy, getting into the swing of Christmas." Her elbow jogged a silver bell. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. "
"What are you talking about?"
"You know - It's A Wonderful Life. Oh no, I don't suppose you do. You wizards miss out on so much."
"If that means not having to listen to your inane babblings, then I count my blessings,"
He glanced up from his coffee as she got down and approached him with intent. She put one hand on either side of the armchair and lowered herself towards him 'press-up' style.
"I forgive you because it's Christmas," she said, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Oh, your face is still cold. I'd love to stay and warm you up, but I've got the final rehearsal before the concert tonight."
"Ah yes, that other annual delight awaits," he said, sarcastically.
She caught his arm as he went to raise the mug to his mouth, stopping him. She then kissed him, slowly and seductively, her hand running up the inside of his thigh and cupping him between his legs.
"Think about this if you get bored during the concert," she murmured against his lips, her hand rubbing the growing hardness behind his fly. "I dare you."
She looked deep into his eyes before she got off him, grabbed her music from the table, her teaching gown from the hook on the back of the door and went out.
Wriggling into her gown, she scampered up the stairs to the main hall and then on to the Great Hall, where the final rehearsal for the concert was being held.
She was a little embarrassed to find herself playing the sax solo in Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, thinking it should be a pupil doing it, but no one had taken up saxophone yet, and the clarinetists were just not up to the task. She would have ignored the solo altogether if the choir hadn't whined and cajoled her into
playing it and she had to admit, the song just wasn't the same without it.
She was walking past the notice board in the Main Hall, when something caught her eye.
A poster, drawn on a twelve by ten piece of parchment was pinned to the notice board. Extremely well drawn and very colourful, it stood out amongst the other drab notices collected there.
Slowly she walked towards it, her horror growing by the second.
A gross caricature of herself - pouting red lips and huge boobs which were almost popping out of a scarlet evening dress, exaggerated points where her nipples would be. The dress was slashed to the hip, revealing fishnet stockings and red high-heeled shoes. She was playing the clarinet. Behind her, standing shadowy, menacingly, threateningly was, unmistakably, Severus. A black-cloaked figure in a Nosfaratau pose - his hair, eyes and nose hideously exaggerated, he looked ready to pounce.
The writing read:
"By Popular Demand
Hogwarts' Staff are proud to present
their Christmas Production of
Beauty and the Beast"
Andi couldn't believe her eyes. Who on earth would do this? Which student would be so idiotic and devil-may-care to put this on the board? Severus was still wired about Narcissa's revelations, and about Andi being followed during her visit to Liz. If he saw this, he'd explode into orbit.
Eyes smarting, she ripped the poster from the board, sending the pins flying, scrunched it up and thrust it into her pocket.
Absolutely fuming, wanting to go to Dumbledore that instant but realising she was due at rehearsal, she stormed down the corridor towards the Great Hall.
Someone was all ready playing the piano as she approached and her step faltered as she recognized the song:
"...tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast. "
"Who the hell gave you permission to play the piano, Claris?" she bellowed as she exploded into the Hall.
Poor Claris shot up from the piano, banging her knee loudly on the underside as she did. Her face was beetroot red and she looked terrified.
The other members of the Choir stood frozen to the spot. To say they looked apprehensive was the understatement of the year.
Andi glared at them all. If she could have burned them with her eyes, she would have.
"If I find out," she hissed in a tone learned from Severus. "That any one of you was responsible for that poster on the notice board-"
"No, Professor..."
"It wasn't us..."
"It's on the Hufflepuff notice board too..."
"And the Ravenclaw..."
"Silence!"
She drew breath. "Perhaps you would care to explain your choice of song, Claris?" she snapped.
Claris was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry...P..Professor...It...it...just came into my head...I saw
the poster and...it reminded me of the film..." Claris sobbed. "I just think it's a beautiful tune..."
Andi's resolve began to crumble as Claris burst into tears. With a huge sigh, Andi set her music down on the piano and gathered Claris to her.
"I'm sorry; I'm sorry." Then turning to the rest, she said, "The poster is deeply offensive and I dread to think what punishment awaits the perpetrator when he or she is found. Please give me your word that none of you was foolish enough to have anything to do with it."
As one, they shook their heads.
"No, Professor..."
"Wasn't me..."
"Knew nothing about it..."
Andi sat at the piano and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. This isn't very conducive to a smooth rehearsal, is it?
What can we do to lighten the mood?" But she didn't have to do anything, as just then Elmedius entered the Hall.
"Peeves is hanging by the balls on the Christmas tree," he announced.
There were howls of laughter.
Elmedius then realised what he had said. "I didn't quite mean it like that," he smiled. "Shall we get on?"
----
As Andi predicted, the audience was getting restless by the end of the fifth song. They were impatient to get on with the end-of-term Feast.
A murmur ran around the Great Hall as Geraldine Hams, a fifth-year Ravenclaw stepped up to the drums, Dean Thomas took the guitar and Andi picked up her sax, swapping places with Elmedius so that he was now on piano and she conducting.
They began Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.
Soon their audience was clapping along with the music and when they reached the end, there were approving whistles and cries for 'more!'
Elmedius looked over at Andi.
Andi looked over at Albus, who nodded to indicate they should play again.
This time some of the students actually left their places at the table to dance. It was uplifting to see and by the end of the song, Andi was grinning.
As the choir took their bows, Andi happened to catch sight of a clutch of Slytherins all huddled together, their attention firmly away from the choir. They were looking at something that appeared to be the same size and color as the poster. Then one of them got up and, unnoticed because of the applause, sneaked out of the door.
The Choir dispersed, each member returning to their own tables. Andi stepped up to the staff table and whispered to Albus. "Would you excuse me for just a moment, Albus? I need to fetch something from my room."
She didn't know what it was, but the sight of that Slytherin leaving the Hall as the song ended, gave her a weird feeling of unease.
Andi left the Hall and hesitating for a moment, decided to go down the staircase to the dungeons. Everything was quiet - everyone was in the Hall, and yet...
She let herself into Severus' rooms and knew immediately she was not alone. Letting the door close with a loud click, she heard an intake of breath.
"Who's there?!"
No answer.
"I said, who's there?"
A movement from behind the bedroom door, and a sixth-year boy stepped out. She recognized him as one of the Slytherins that often gave her trouble.
Andi raised her wand. "Explain yourself."
"I...I..."
Not taking her eyes off the boy, she made her way to the fireplace and pulled out the brass handle. "Please would you ask the Headmaster to join me in Professor Snape's quarters as a matter of urgency."
"Aw no, not the Headmaster..." whined the boy, managing to look embarrassed and insolent at the same time.
"Quiet," she hissed, sounding braver than she felt. This boy was nearly a man and Andi was under no illusions how easily he could overwhelm her. "Just be thankful I am standing here and not Professor Snape."
Albus was there in a trice.
"Kindly explain what you are doing in Professor Snape's quarters Mr. Nott." Albus looked at the boy, sternly.
He didn't answer.
"Mr. Nott, you can either answer my question of your own volition, or we can use a Potion but, trust me, we shall learn the truth."
"I did it as a dare," Nott answered quickly.
"A dare?"
The boy pursed his lips, for the first time looking completely embarrassed.
"Some of the others dared me to..." he stopped. He waited in silence until he finally realised he was not going to be let off the hook by an interruption. "They dared me to steal..." He swallowed. "A pair of Professor Carver's knickers."
It was Andi's turn to burn.
She was vaguely aware of Albus talking, of the boy emptying his pockets - thankfully producing nothing more than a few coins, sticky toffee wrappers covered with fluff and hair, and a quill sharpener .
She was curious to know why he had broken into Severus' quarters and not her own, but was too embarrassed to ask, fearful of an indelicate answer.
"Do you know anything about the posters?" she asked, suddenly. Nott looked at her and she could see he was trying to keep his face expressionless.
"Posters?" said Albus.
Andi took the scrunched parchment from her pocket, smoothed it and handed it to Albus, whose face clouded.
"Well, Mr. Nott?" he said, steadily.
"It was just a joke."
The Headmaster was angry. "Andrea, I suggest you go and rejoin the feast. I need to have a
private word with Mr. Nott in my office, along with his mother."
------
Severus was beside himself with rage when she told him about finding Nott in his quarters, and even worse when he discovered the boy had been sent home a day early with a month's suspension from Hogwarts,
before he'd had a chance to confront him.
It clouded what would otherwise have been a very pleasant end of term.
Pinklittlewitch - Thanks for reviewing and YES, there is a plot planned out. It's had a very slow build up because I think we had to settle down from Madness With The Bliss with all Andi's little problems settling in at Hogwarts. I have set a trail of things, though. It'll explode soon.
Helena Oe - Thanks. Chapter fifteen and nostalgia up next!
Midnight Lilly - Liz & Remus? Hmmmm.
May-Luna - Wondered where you'd got to. Welcome back. I actually thought of the Las Vegas line when writing the first book, but never had an opportunity to use it. I do think the thought of Sev in LV is very funny.
FemmeLoki - Did you find the film? Did you enjoy it?
Kerichi - Never watched Dr.Quinn, but now realise I have used the surname for Jupe Quinn. Spooky. Perhaps you should buy a fancy patch for that inner eye of yours!
Thouandl - Oh I'm so pleased to have peaked your interest. As to your other comments - wait and see!
josie - Certainly the witch following Andi will have consequences - good or bad? - who knows? Oh wait -I do! Hehehehe
JessiokaFroka - Let's hope you and he have a smoother path than Andi & Sev.
KristiM - Thanks. I must admit, typing that Mary Poppins line felt a bit like blasphemy!