Chapter Ten: It is a Small World After All

"I do love this song." Albus mused aloud as they began their descent into Small World – ville for the tenth time in a row. Minerva was getting a rapidly growing migraine, and she was beginning to wonder how many more times it would take before she Avada Kedavra-ed a few smiling, wooden children and screamed, "It is NOT a SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL." And laughed maniacally. She refrained only for Albus' sake, as he seemed to be having the time of his life, tapping his ghostly feet to the tune and occasionally even humming along with his eyes closed an a goofy smile upon his face. For him she would keep quiet. For now at least.

"Albus? Do you suppose we might be able to…say, move on after this round?" She questioned him gently, knowing that once they sailed near the French children he began to get a little bit touchy, thank goodness they were just at Japan. She looked at him hopefully, her eyebrows raised in a pleading manner as she folded her hands in her lap.

"Minerva dear, I was hoping to make it a nice round twenty times if you don't mind. I don't think anyone has been on this ride more than that, and I would like to break a record! On the way in next, you can purchase ear plugs if you don't like the music." He replied scathingly, apparently it wasn't the French children who irritated him so much.

McGonnagal sighed resignedly and leaned back in their little boat, looking up at the ceiling and then up at a little Eskimo (EENYOOEET) figure dancing robotically to the tune and mouthing, 'save me'. Nothing happened, not that she actually expected it to, but she was strangely disappointed.

"Lucius. We've been in here going on twenty five times, haven't you had enough?" Because I know I have, Severus though that last bit to himself with a sigh as he leaned against his hand in the little boat he was beginning to feel a fondness for. Which was a bad thing. He was even beginning to get over the little bout of seasickness he had had earlier. He didn't want to however, for that would mean that he would not have anything truthful to complain about…not that he had issues about lying of course.

"No." Malfoy replied simply, not offering anything else except for the dopey grin on his face, and the action of bouncing up and down like an excited child who has conveniently forgotten to tell his mother he has to use the loo. This was making Severus the most nervous, for the boat was small, and they were sharing a seat.

"Oh." Snape sighed, glaring at his reflection in the water they were floating on. This was going to haunt his dreams forever. Severus Snape's version of Hell was It's a Small World (something he and the author have in common). "You know Lucius, I'm sure no one has been on this more than twenty five times…you've probably broken a record." He said in a placating tone, it didn't work, as Lucius glared at the other man and shook his head,

"No." He repeated, staring intently at the scenery in front of them. At least someone was enjoying this.

"Fine." Severus stated, "I hope you don't mind if I take a nap then." He hoped that this would get his 'friend' to realize just how bored and tired he was; if this didn't, nothing would.

"No."

Severus wondered if perhaps Lucius was a broken record.

"Did you hear that Minerva? Someone's been on this ride twenty five time!" Dumbledore shrieked, as if this was the end of the world, "We have to beat that!" He gripped the sides of the boat until his fingers were whiter than they had been previously.

Minerva just stared at him, silent, her heart racing as she tried her hardest to keep from mutilating and destroying the carefully handcarved children dancing around the fake landscape.

It was hard.