A Potion Induced Advent's Time
by Healer Pomfrey

Please refer to the content/warnings/disclaimer note above page 1.

December 21

In the morning, Harry was still not allowed to teach, and Minerva decided to go and teach her classes, even if it was a strange feeling having to teach students, who were of the same age.

"I'm going to teach my Potions classes as well," Severus decided, smirking as he added, "The Weasley twins had enough time to instruct my students in the brewing of prank potions."

Harry let out a snort, which he quickly hid behind a few harsh coughs. 'He is just the one to talk about prank potions,' he thought. 'Minerva and Severus are not only nicer than before, but they also seem to be much happier.' He spent the whole morning reflecting the three weeks, which he had spent together with Minerva and Severus. He was only brought back to reality when he heard the two young professors enter the room.

"Hi," Harry said in surprise. "I thought you'd have lunch in the Great Hall."

"You didn't think we'd leave you alone here, did you?" Severus replied, quirking an eyebrow.

"Especially knowing that you wouldn't eat anything without us," Minerva added in a soft voice. "Come Harry, let's have lunch here together. Do you feel well enough for our trip to Hogsmeade?" she then asked, reminding Harry that he had promised Severus an excursion to Hogsmeade.

'Now that they're my age, they could as well go by themselves,' he thought in confusion. 'Somehow it's strange to go together with two professors, who are my own age.'

However, when the three walked down the street to Hogsmeade, talking animatedly, the awkward feeling was completely gone. After a longer visit at the bookshop and a short trip to the Apothecary, Minerva suggested, "Shall we go to The Three Broomsticks and have a butterbeer?"

"Good idea," Severus acknowledged, "however, I believe that we still have an errand to do first," Severus replied, smirking as he pointed at the Christmas tree in front of Honeydukes.

"What are you going to do now?" Harry asked, unsure if he should feel annoyed or excited at the prospect of playing a prank.

Severus grinned and waved his wand at the tree, which was decorated with small golden baubles and white goats. "Goats?" Harry blurted out in disbelief, causing Minerva to let out an annoyed groan.

"That's probably Aberforth Dumbledore's doing," she explained. "As the owner of the Hog's Head, he is one of the members, who decide such things here in the town, and I believe that it is common knowledge that he owns a goat." Minerva interrupted herself to stare at the Christmas tree in disbelief. "Severus, what did you do?"

Severus chuckled. "The Mistletoe Charm," he then explained in a quiet voice, pulling Minerva and Harry into a small side street, from where they could see the tree but were safe from being seen or heard.

Mere instants later, the three friends couldn't keep themselves from laughing. Everyone, who was hurrying along the busy main street and was walking too close to the charmed Christmas tree, unwillingly began to hug the person next to them.

Suddenly, a voice, which Harry knew all too well, penetrated his ears. "One of my colleagues has seen Harry Potter together with two children, who mysteriously resembled Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape at Diagon Alley a few days ago. Minister, do you know anything..."

Harry glanced around, only to see Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet tipple along the main street together with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic. He could not understand what Shacklebolt replied, but as soon as the strange couple passed right in front of the Christmas tree, they began to hug each other, just like everyone else.

"This is priceless," Minerva gasped, chuckling. "What a timing! Severus, you're brilliant."

Harry couldn't help laughing even more, when Severus slightly bowed in front of Minerva. 'It's a pity that they can't remain eighteen. I'd love to remain friends with them. I really like them,' he mused later that evening, when Minerva had sent him to bed early, insisting that he should get some rest if he wanted to attend classes in the morning. Somehow, he had the impression as if he even knew them better than Hermione and Ron, although he had spent much more time together with his best friends. 'Minerva and Severus are more like family than like friends,' he mused. 'It was only three weeks, but somehow, these weeks were very intensive. I wonder if they feel the same way, and I wonder if they might become more than just friends, when they stay at the same age.' Before he could further follow that thought, he finally drifted off to sleep.

tbc...

Thank you for your kind comments!