Matchmaking

Chapter Two

Meanwhile the inhabitants of the staffroom continued their discussion unaware that until fairly recently two eavesdroppers had been watching and listening. Poppy and Rolanda were now locked in a fierce argument about the merits of their respective plans, with Poppy stating firmly, "That people didn't get hurt when you locked them in places, therefore they should follow her suggestion since it was far safer." A statement which caused Rolanda to glare at her in disgust and call her friend a namby pamby stick in the mud.

For the last few minutes Filius had been becoming increasingly bored with the conversation, they just seemed to be going round in circles, as they so often did. He couldn't help but be distracted by Pomona who was now staring absently out of the window in the direction of her beloved greenhouses. She had the most adorable smudge of dirt on her nose, and another on her left cheek, to him they adorned her far more fittingly than the finest makeup or jewellery. As his eyes captured her's she smiled at him in a way that always filled his heart with joy. Taking her smile as an invitation he sidled over to her, sprang onto the window seat next to her and whispered "I wish they'd lock us in a cupboard ... Think how much fun we could have together ..."

For a moment Pomona's face softened into a tender smile, the fleck of earth on her cheek crinkling in a manner that Filius thought absolutely adorable. "Oh who needs to be locked in ..." She said firmly, "Why don't we just lock ourselves in ?"

Instantly Filius' face lit up mischievously much like a small child's, "What a brilliant idea." He said happily. Glancing round he noticed that Rolanda and Poppy's discussion had grown even more heated. "They seem to be having a wonderful time without us, shall we ?" He murmured tenderly.

"Yes, let's." Pomona said eagerly, then took Filius firmly by the hand and led him from the room, as the little man beamed up at her as though she were the most magnificent woman in the entire universe.

As the happy couple left the staffroom to find a nice dark cupboard somewhere, Filius tenderly plucked a stray beetle from Pomona's skirt and placed it by the open window. "Off you go my little fellow ... and no eating Pomona's plants." He whispered.

Unaware that Filius and Pomona had left, Poppy and Rolanda continued bickering their voices growing louder by the second until Severus' attempts to pretend that they didn't exist were doomed to failure. Exasperated beyond belief he snapped, "If you're so desperate to get them together, then why don't you just give them a love potion ?"

"Ridiculous idea, they're already in love. Don't you listen ?" Rolanda scoffed as she glared at Severus, a hint of passion mixed with the fierceness in her golden eyes, as they traced a fiery path up his icy form.

"Not if I slip a secret ingredient in which will loosen their inhibitions." Severus snarled, as he tried not to wonder what would happen if he used his secret ingredient on Hooch, not that her inhibitions needed much loosening anyway judging by the way she was eyeing him. 'Serve her right if I ruined her little game by kissing her.' He thought, 'She'd run a mile ... but what if she didn't run ?' Severus felt the unfamiliar stirrings of passion burn deep within him as he imagined how he would pull her fiercely into his arms, holding her so tight that there was no escape, how he would kiss her intensely as his hands roamed across her body, she would be unable to resist. Severus shook himself angrily, love is for fools he reminded himself, I have no time for such things. Severus tried to curl his lips into the all too familiar sneer of contempt but they seemed to be still thinking about kissing rolanda, and refused to obey.

In a desperate attempt to refocus his attention on something safer Severus did something which he would later regret very very much indeed. "Leave it to me." He heard himself say confidently, "I'll brew a potion which will get those two together, all you lot have to do is see that they take it, I imagine you can just about manage that can you ?" Severus drawled sarcastically.

Up in the headmaster's private rooms Albus had just emerged from his bed chamber, seeking lemon drops to sustain his energy. His silvery hair was tousled and his bright blue eyes sparked with the passion that only one woman could arouse in him. So intent on his quest for candy that he nearly failed to notice what his staff were planning, until he suddenly heard the unmistakable tones of his potions master stating, "Now remember whoever they see first after taking the potion they will fall madly in love with, so you must ensure that they see each other and not anyone else. Don't forget this isn't an ordinary love potion, my secret ingredient will ensure that their natural inhibitions will be considerably lowered ."

As Albus listened curiously, his tyrst with minerva momentarily forgotten, he heard Rolanda ask, "They're already in love so why don't we just give them a potion which will lower their inhibitions ?"

As Albus peered into the mirror he saw Severus roll his eyes in disdainful disgust, "Because that isn't the way these things work, just leave the potion making to me and you concentrate on your job." Severus snapped.

"Oh Ho !" Albus murmured as his eyes twinkled merrily, "This could be fun ..."

"What could be fun ?" Minerva asked, as she poked her head round the door to see what was delaying Albus.

Briefly Albus explained what he had overheard, pausing every so often to chuckle softly in a manner which caused Minerva to tap her feet impatiently, and command him to hurry up. Once Albus had finished he chuckled lightly again, and seemingly oblivious of how Minerva's lips were set in an all too familiar line of disapproval, murmured blissfully, "This could be even more fun than being locked in together."

"Really Albus I fail to see how behaving like a lovesick intoxicated puppy would be fun." Minerva snapped.

"How about a lovesick intoxicated kitten ?" Albus asked, a comment which caused Minerva to shoot her fiercest death glare at him and state firmly that if he didn't do something about it then she would.

Albus supressed a sigh as he placed a calming hand on Minerva's arm, and said reassuringly, "Don't worry my dear, providing that we know what they put the potion in, it can be easily neutralised by magic. I shan't even need to use my wand, it's a perfectly simple spell."

Albus twinkled at Minerva hopefully, then supressed another sigh as Minerva snapped, "Then may I suggest that you stop talking and start listening to their plans."

The next few minutes were spent focused on the mirror. At last they heard Rolanda and Poppy agree on a cunning plan to invite them to a party in the staffroom the next evening, and put the potion in the punch.

"Well that's that then." Minerva stated firmly, "We simply won't attend their party."

At once Albus' face fell rather like a small child denied candy, "But ..." He protested.

"Albus !" Minerva snarled, as her cheeks flushed a red warning sign of imminent rage, "I have already told you that I am not going to drink their damm potion."

"I know .. I know ... " Albus said placatingly "But I have a much better idea than that my dear."

For a few seconds Minerva glared at Albus suspisciously. "Go on ..." She said at last.

Instantly Albus' face lit up joyously "Don't you think it would be a great deal more fun to go the party and then not drink the punch ?" He queried, "Just imagine the fun we could have watching them watching us, we could keep pretending that we were about to drink the punch and then pretend to get distracted. Of course I would neutralise it eventually, and then we could actually drink it and have even more fun seeing how bewildered the poor things are when it doesn't work."

Minerva's face was now shining with mischief and fun in a manner that would have astonished her students. "I knew there was a reason I love you." She said, then kissed Albus passionately on the lips in a way that made him forget everything but the woman in his arms.

Author's Notes

It seems this story is no longer a one shot, I've been toying with ideas for how to continue for some time now, and finaly last night I wrote this chapter. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be after this, probably at least two more. This chapter is really just trying to set the scene for what happens next.

Please review and let me know what you think. :)