Disclaimer: I own nothing; it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I'm just borrowing the characters to play with for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"Well I don't know what crack Herms has been smoking Nicholas, but I think your tie looks lovely." Tonks said with a pleased smile. Tonks apparently had a fine appreciation for a well matched tie, and the neon green and yellow liquid bubbles that slowly moved around Nicholas's tie provided a striking contrast to his deep purple velvet suit. Apparently Nicholas's date, Hermione, disagreed based on the huffing she responded with. Or perhaps she's just another only child who grew up bitter that her parents loved their lava lamp more than her.
"Thank you, Tonks, I happen to agree." Nicholas replied. "And may I say that halter-top fits you quite snugly."
"Watch your staring, old man!" Harry said loudly. "You can only blame so much on a lazy eye."
Tonks admonished her date. "Oh Harry. Can't you and Nicholas get along for one evening?"
"We'll behave Tonks," Nicholas replied. "It's all just playful bickering."
Harry made a face and mimicked in a high-pitched voice, "It's all just playful bickering."
Hermione just looked at Harry sadly.
"Besides," Nicholas said loudly interrupting Harry's antics. "Tonight we are here to support our colleague."
Tonks nodded. "Doesn't it seem odd though that they would reschedule Severus' award ceremony for an earlier time, that just so happened to be all of our first official dates?"
Nicholas and Harry nodded with similar expressions. Nicholas began, "That is-"
Harry interrupted, "-a peculiar-"
"-coincidence," finished Nicholas.
Hermione added a snort and a not so quiet "Hah!"
"Something to add, Hermy?" Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head. "Nope. Just feeling a little fearful for Severus' sake."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. He waited until Hermione was drinking and asked, "Should I be getting jealous?"
Hermione manage to spew a large mouthful of water forward directly onto an unprepared Tonks. Harry had already been handing his napkin to Tonks so that she could dry herself off. Hermione began apologizing profusely, and staring oddly at Harry. She collected herself enough to smack Nicholas on the back of his head.
Tonks wryly smiled and said, "Something tells me Severus should remain safe from Hermione's advances."
Hermione went red again and tried to frown at Tonks. Tonks got up and said, "If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to go to the ladies room and freshen up."
As soon as she left the table, Hermione threw up a privacy charm and said, "Alright. Harry," she growled at Harry. "And Harry," she growled at Nicholas. "I will not be the butt of your nonstop joke on the world. I have a breaking point and you two…err one… are dangerously close to it."
Harry put on the smile that melts Hermione's heart. "Aww come on Hermy. You're looking at this all wrong."
Nicholas continued, "You're not the butt of the joke at all."
Harry nodded, "You're one of the very few we trust enough to be in on it."
Nicholas nodded and hugged her closer.
Hermione gave in at the boyish glee on both their faces. "Wait," she started. "So which one of you two is from now, and which is from later?"
Harry and Nicholas looked in each other's eyes. Nicholas responded. "Sorry, we can't tell you that."
"Why not?" Hermione asked with a frown.
Harry and Nicholas again seemed to have a quick silent conversation. "I thought that would be obvious." Harry said.
Hermione began getting that dangerous anger in her eyes again.
Harry smiled and said, "Because the one who's done this already knows that we didn't tell you."
Hermione's eyes flashed and smacked Nicholas upside the head again.
"Oww!" Nicholas growled at Harry. "This is your fault!"
Harry smiled triumphantly. "No it's not. It's yours."
This stopped Nicholas from replying and he paused and thought about it. "I suppose in some ways it is."
Hermione sighed. "You people are sick."
Harry and Nicholas nodded and shrugged in unison.
"Why'd you ask?" Nicholas inquired.
"It's just I saw Harry ready to hand his napkin to Tonks before I'd even sprayed her yet." Hermione explained. "Speaking of which, why didn't you just shield her from the spray?"
Harry looked at Hermione incredulously. "This one is even more obvious than the timeline excuse."
"Yeah," Nicholas explained. "Hello! McFly! Tonks is wearing a halter-top."
"And I've boosted the cooling charm around our table." Harry added.
"And if anyone is to blame for the wet shirt," Nicholas said.
"It's you." Harry and Nicholas both said with a smile at Hermione.
"Alright! That's it!" Hermione yelled inside their privacy charm. "You two are going to behave. You're not going to torment me. You're not going to trick me or manipulate me. We are going to have a nice normal evening or so help me Merlin," she snarled. "No sex for either of you!"
Harry and Nicholas gasped.
"Don't make me ruin Tonks evening too!" Hermione threatened. "Cause you know I can. And you know I will."
"We'll be good." Nicholas meekly assured.
"Promise." A sullen Harry agreed.
Hermione stared the two Harrys down and finally nodded. "Very well."
Nicholas leaned over and gave Hermione a squeeze. "Now you need to drop the privacy charm. Tonks will be here in eleven seconds."
Hermione did just that and counted in her head. Sure enough, exactly when they said she arrived.
"Wotcher. Did I miss anything?" Tonks asked as she sat back down.
Hermione smirked happily and stated. "Not much. I was just making sure these two immature boys promised to be on their best behavior."
The conversation remained pleasant and their meals arrived and they enjoyed their dinners. Just as they were finishing, Albus Dumbledore stood up and addressed the crowd from the podium at the head table. "We are gathered here to award the Order of Merlin, to a fine young man that I have had the privilege of knowing for three decades, including his formative years."
Severus was sitting next to him and was basking in the glory of his moment.
"My good friend, Severus, here believes that we intend to award him the Order of Merlin Second Class for his efforts as a Master of Potions and the rediscovery of The Kiss of Ra. And with that, the ability to cure a great number of previously incurable maladies."
"I know Frank and Alice Longbottom were extremely grateful and owe him their sanity." Albus said with a nod towards the table with Frank, Alice, and Neville. Apparently they were still at the point where just hearing their last name made them laugh, and Frank and Alice couldn't contain their giggles.
"But with some careful review and personal references from myself, and two of our other more notables members, Mr. Potter and Mr. Flamel, we have decided it best to not award Severus an Order of Merlin Second Class."
"I hate you, Potter. You always make me look like an ass!" Severus mumbled while staring down at his dessert plate. Not everyone could hear him but the people nearest the front were all chuckling. Snape continued quietly cursing Potter, Potter spawn, even something about a filthy motherpotter.
"What many of you don't know is the lengths to which my friend Severus has gone to. The troubles and hardships he has faced head on and overcome." Albus orated, trying his best to ignore Severus' angry muttering.
"Many of you here even still only know the masks he has been forced to wear over the years-" Albus abruptly stopped after hearing a mumble of 'a gajillion points from Gryffindor' and whispered angrily at the pouting man next to him. "For Merlin's sake, Severus, you're getting an Order of Merlin First Class! Now are you going to behave or do I have to put you in time out?"
Severus' angry rabbles ceased and he had a scared look on his face. Whether it was the realization of his award or the threat of a time out, many were not sure. Either answer though brought out more giggles from Frank and Alice Longbottom.
"Pardon me. As I was saying," Albus continued, though he wasn't smiling as much as he had been. "Many of you only know this man next to me as an ass. A bitter, sarcastic, immature, childish, angry ass. He has been forced to play the role of an ass, to ensure that he fit in amongst the Death Eaters, and to not arouse any suspicions as to his role as a spy. For over a decade and a half, he was an ass who was unable to befriend those who he may have wanted to, and he was forced to act friendly with those he was working to bring down.
"His work as a Potions Asster," Albus blushed and cleared his throat with a 'hem-hem.' "Pardon me. Master, is nearly unparalleled in his field. The Kiss of Ra may just be the beginning of a great number of previously impossible ancient potions to be rediscovered, but even if it is the only one, that rediscovery alone has changed and touched a great many lives."
During Albus' warm introduction for Severus, Harry just had a look of happy shock on his face. He whispered to his friends at the table, "I cannot believe that worked."
Nicholas nodded his head. "Me neither. Albus usually sees right through those kinds of things."
Tonks quietly looked at the pair of smiling manboys. "What did you do?"
Harry reached over and squeezed Tonks thigh with a smile. "I told him I was from the future, and in this timeline, it was imperative that he call Severus an 'ass' several times in his introduction."
Tonks smiled and asked, "And he believed that?"
Harry nodded. "I'm as surprised as you are!"
Hermione frowned. "But if it were true, then it would be… Wait a second! He still has free will and can say whatever he wants to!"
Nicholas frowned. "Hmm. I guess informing you that I'm from the future and tonight it is imperative that I bring you to orgasm at least eight times, won't work too well on you. Will it, Hermione?" Tonks had to bite her bottom lip to stop from laughing out loud at how red Hermione just went.
Up at the podium, Albus just looked over at his silently fuming but slightly smiling Potions professor and concluded. "For all the work this young man has done for the magical community, the School of Hogwarts, the advancement of the field of Potions, and in particular the extremely dangerous and important work as a spy against the Dark Lord and Death Eaters, we are pleased to award Severus Snape with an Order of Merlin First Class."
Everyone present at the dinner and award ceremony stood up and cheered. The applause was making the sneering man blush uncontrollably, and he was smiling and enjoying the adulation. At least until he saw Potter stand on his chair and yell, "I love you, Severus!" This brought back the more familiar angry scowl as he focused it intently on Harry. Harry winked at the man on stage and made an obvious show of licking his lips. Severus angry scowl was filled with embarrassment now. Frank and Alice falling down laughing didn't help matters for him.
"I am going to say something none of you may have ever heard me say. Remember this moment, it will not happen often," Severus began staring at the still tittering crowd. "Thank you."
Laughter erupted from the crowd as many there had never before seen Severus Snape crack a joke. He'd mock and be sarcastic, but never in the interests of humor. Severus was actually smiling. "Wow! People actually laughing at my joke! Lately all I've been getting is shocked stupors whenever I attempt some levity. I was beginning to wonder if Albus was unable to control his accidental magic in his old age and was sending out confundus charms whenever I'd make him chuckle."
The crowd laughed at the blushing Headmaster sitting next to Snape.
"That wasn't a joke," Severus explained. "He really doesn't have the control he did in his youth."
The crowd was eating it up.
"For Merlin's sake people, it's not funny." Severus continued. "This is a serious issue facing today's senior citizens. This is no laughing matter."
The crowd disagreed and thought Severus should do stand-up.
"Fine. Laugh it up now. Just you wait. You'll see Albus' face scrunch up and then turn into a guilty smile. And everyone in the immediate area will stop what they're doing and stare off into space." Severus was getting a bit angry. Albus was trying to frown at Severus but couldn't stop grinning.
"I'm serious!" Severus exclaimed. "He's dangerous! You never know when-" Severus stopped suddenly and turned to the Headmaster, "Knock it off, Albus!"
Even the Headmaster was laughing now.
Severus arched an eyebrow at the outright laughing the Headmaster was doing. "Do I need to fashion a diaper to contain your magic, Headmaster?"
Albus stopped laughing and was truly frowning at Snape now.
Frank Longbottom cheered, "You tell him, Snivellus!"
Severus smiled and was going to thank the man, before his mind processed the cheer and he settled for a frustrated frown. He shook his head and mumbled "For the love of Harry."
Frank caught his slip-up and felt really bad. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to say that Severus. It just slipped out. I didn't mean-" Frank's attention was distracted by his wife's quiet moan. "Is that… is that chocolate?"
Alice pulled the bowl nearer to her and smiled at her husband. He quickly sat down, forgetting why he was standing in the first place.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I do appreciate this award. It does mean a lot to me, and I am grateful you have selected to honor me with this. Although, in fairness I feel any Professor who survives seven years of Potter should get a medal."
The Hogwarts faculty in the crowd found this particularly amusing.
"Seeing as I enjoy public speaking almost as much as I enjoy teaching first years, I shall keep this brief." Severus continued with a wicked smile. "Receiving the Order of Merlin has been one of my goals, and I sincerely appreciate you recognizing me for this. I do wish to thank all of you from the bottom of my cold Slytherin heart." Severus finished and sat down. He quickly stood back up and added, "Well except for Potter of course."
The crowd cheered and applauded again for the newest recipient of the Order of Merlin First Class. The evening was winding down as people finished off the last of their desserts and began saying their goodbyes.
Frank and Alice both took one of Neville's hands to help lead him through the crowds. Alice was asking, "Do you think Taco Bell is still open?"
"Mum!" Neville exclaimed. "We're just now leaving dinner."
Frank gasped and smiled. "Taco Bell does sound good."
Neville just groaned and pulled his parents away.
Severus stalked over to Harry, Nicholas, Tonks, and Hermione's table. "Potter." He frowned before wincing at the tickling in his arm and adding, "Harry." Severus gave him a curt nod. "That was positively Slytherin of you."
Harry just smiled innocently and said, "Come now Severus. I know how important this night was to you. I would never be that devious, now would I?"
Severus' eyes widened and he quickly wished the table "Good night," and walked away while he could.
Nicholas cracked up at Severus' response.
"What did I miss?" Tonks asked. Hermione was looking on curiously too.
Harry smiled and explained, "I can send little messages or bursts of magic along Severus' former Dark Mark. This whole evening he was on edge wondering when I was going to… encourage a response from him."
"And?" Tonks asked.
Harry grinned deviously. "And I never did. The anticipation and anxiety seemed to work pretty good on their own."
Hermione pursed her lips. "Can you really do that much through the link?"
Harry shrugged just as a loud piercing scream rang from the entranceway. It was followed by an angry "Potter!"
"A fair amount," Harry said with his eyes a twinkle.
