By the afternoon, they had sketched out a design for the cloak that both of them were happy with, and had a list of enchantments they wanted to incorporate into it. Minerva had acquiesced to having a way to track the boy through the garment, but had remained steadfast in her position that it was not to be activated unless it truly was an emergency. Severus would be taking care of that part, as he had already been researching ways to show the position of something that was linked to another object.
They had had an argument about whether it was unethical to have something that would alert them whenever the child went somewhere he wasn't supposed to, or got into some kind of danger. Minerva thought that it was an invasion of his privacy, for all that it would be useful, and had favoured something along the lines of a panic button, which the boy would use to alert them when he felt he was in danger. On the other hand, Severus was completely against the idea that Harry Potter would know when it was appropriate to let an adult know that he was in danger, especially considering his track record with the troll. Eventually, they settled the dispute since a cloak would have no way of knowing whether the child was in danger or not, and Severus resigned himself to the panic button.
As they walked down the corridor that led to the staff common room, Severus was considering the trip that he had said he would make on Monday afternoon. After his sixth-year potions class, he would be going to London to buy an appropriate fabric, as well as any other accoutrements that were needed. They had decided that they would have to find clasps at a later date, as they both wanted to be there to decide the style, and to ask questions about their enchantability.
The problem with the trip was that if any of the other teachers found out he was going they would be sure to ply him with little requests. He would end up lugging myriad things back to Hogwarts. As one of the youngest members of the staff, he did get asked to do that sort of thing more often than he should.
As they slipped quietly into the room, he noticed that all the other members of staff were there already. He had hoped that they wouldn't be the last ones there, because Dumbledore detested lateness, and always exacted a terrible revenge on anyone late to staff meetings.
"Severus, Minerva! How kind of you to join us. We were just discussing the supervision of the upcoming Hogsmeade trip. I believe that it is your turn, is it not?"
They sat in their seats at the discussion table, Severus with an air of defiance. The Christmas Hogsmeade trip- full of hyperactive wet children and frantic bustling shoppers- was a cruel and unnecessary reprimand for being a little late to a meeting where nothing much would be accomplished anyway.
Minerva rolled her eyes slightly and nodded, with a "Yes, Albus." Severus stayed sullenly silent. Hopefully Albus would let it go.
"Severus? Did you want to do the one on Valentine's day as well?"
He lifted his head up quickly to glare at the headmaster. "What? No, I-"
"How kind of you to volunteer, my boy. Put that down, Filius, if you would. Minerva and Severus on the Christmas one, and Severus on Valentine's Day as well."
Obligingly, the Charms professor inscribed their names on the sheet of paper where he was recording the minutes.
"Severus, will you oblige? Or do we need to have a chat in my office, later?"
Severus clenched his hands in his lap and said with forced calm, "No. I will supervise the trips if that is your wish, headmaster."
There was a moment of rather awkward silence as Severus brooded and the rest of the teachers carefully ignored the tension between him and the headmaster.
"Right, then. Have there been any issues with the students, recently? As we get closer to the holidays, they do tend to get a bit rowdier, but has there been anything major?"
As Filius expounded on the raucousness of the Weasley twins, Severus tuned out and slouched down in his chair, letting his hair fall to cover his face a little. He hated staff meetings.
A half hour later, he was brought out of his doze by Minerva's prodding of his side. He straightened his posture and tried to look as though he knew what was being discussed. They were all looking expectantly at him, and he didn't know why.
Minerva gave a rather fake-sounding cough, and said pointedly, "I don't expect Severus has been having any issues with his House, as they have all been quite well behaved in my classes."
He shot a smile at her gratefully. "My regular meetings with my prefects have assured me that there doesn't seem to be rebellion stirring in their little hearts at the moment, and the last Slytherin House Meeting was surprising in its uneventfulness. I haven't any new issues."
Pomona shook her head, her wild hair flying everywhere. "But what about those first-year boys, Goyle, and Crabbe? They were feeding the flowers they were looking after to the Galumphing Grompner the other day."
Pushing his hair back from his eyes, he said wryly, "I haven't had any new issues, Pomona. I assure you that I have been aware of the problem for a while now, and I am dealing with them. I have been trying to get them involved in a study group for a few weeks now, and have been semi-successful. I have also attempted to separate them from Mr Malfoy, who seems to do all their thinking for them."
"Well, if you are sure it is under control…"
"It is, thank you."
Dumbledore clapped his hands together at that, his eyes twinkling. "Well, that seems to be just about everything. Irma assures me that there have been no troubles in the library, and Argus tells me that there is nothing, and I quote, "more troublesome than that bucket of pixies on Thursday," which was dealt with admirably, so we might as well wrap up. Any last-minute things?"
Yes, there was something, Severus just didn't want to let everyone know. "Headmaster, I will be leaving the school briefly on Monday afternoon, and I just wished to let you know. I don't have any patrols, but my scheduled office time will be moved to start an hour later."
The older man inclined his head, saying, "That will be fine. Where are you going, if I may ask?"
Severus sighed. He had hoped to avoid this question. "I am going to London, sir."
The onslaught came as he expected.
"Severus, be a dear, and buy me another two sacks of Pentin's Patented Potting mix from Griselda's Gardens. I have some more on order, but they're not coming until next week, and my second-years have used it all."
"Oh, could you do me a favour, and take a small detour to Maximillian's. They would have just got a new shipment of food for my creatures, but they don't send it by owl as it is too heavy."
Minerva conjured a piece of paper and a quill so he could write it all down.
The headmaster, inevitably, brightened, and asked, "My dear boy, if it isn't too much trouble, please pop into a muggle sweet-shop and get me whatever catches your fancy?"
Writing down get Albus sugar, he replied, "Of course, Headmaster."
A bunch of lazy interferers, the Hogwarts staff were. Thinking again, he had to include himself in that. Only the interfering part, of course...