Art Exhibition

Written for Lamia's Daily Speed-writing Competition

Prompt - stripper!Severus

A/N: this story is nothing more than a dream I had four years ago, where I met Severus and he showed me some paintings he'd had made of himself. But I'll replace myself with Narcissa to make things more interesting.

Narcissa Malfoy had always enjoyed collecting fine works of art. She had her husband buy her several paintings and sculptures, until her collection grew so large that they had to add another room onto the house for it.

One morning she received an owl from Severus, saying that, since he'd become Headmaster of Hogwarts, he'd had several paintings of himself made to hang in Hogwarts castle. He enjoyed having his picture painted so much that he'd gone ahead and had a few extra portraits made. He wanted to show them to her, since he knew she loved art, and maybe let her keep a few of them to take home with her.

Narcissa arrived at Hogwarts a short time later, going up to Severus' office to admire his new works of art. He was pleased to see her, and began walking her around the room, showing her various paintings and explaining each one in detail.

Some of them were ordinary portraits showing his smug face in the painting. Others showed Severus flying over the castle on a broom while the full moon shown brightly overheard. One painting showed him at his desk writing, while another showed him on the shores along the lake while the sun set on the horizon.

The paintings were beautiful, each one unique and finely crafted. Narcissa could tell that the artist who made them was skilled at his work. But there was one painting that sat in the corner, covered by a sheet of red velvet. Narcissa wondered what it was and why it was hidden beneath the sheet.

"Severus," she said, walking towards the veiled painting. She lifted the corner of the velvet cloth to take a peek underneath. "Why is this painting hidden beneath a cloth? Isn't it finished yet?"

"I'm not sure what that is doing there, Narcissa," Severus replied. "I was supposed to receive eight paintings in total. That one arrived with the others, but I don't recall telling them to send it here."

"Do you know what it is a painting of?"

"Not really. In fact I don't even remember having a ninth portrait made."

He crossed the room and stopped beside the veiled painting. Narcissa stepped aside as Severus pulled the fabric off the portrait, revealing a moving image of himself in an emerald green thong and matching vest dancing on stage.

The Potions Master in the painting tossed his flowing hair back, climbing up the pole and hanging upside down with his legs wrapped around it, the women in the crowd cheering and screaming as he pulled off his vest and threw it at them.

Naricssa gasped, covering her mouth in shock while Snape's sallow features blushed bright right. "Severus! Why did you have them make a painting like this?" she asked. She looked utterly repulsed by the vulgar images in the painting.

"Well I...that is to say...I mean," Severus stammered incoherently. He was at a loss for words, and didn't know how to explain himself. He'd been caught with his pants down, literally. So there was nothing left to do but tell her the truth.

"I'm a stripper," he confessed. "It's something I do on the side for extra money when I'm not making potions. Believe it or not, but the teacher's salary I earn isn't as much as you'd think. And some of the rare potion ingredients are rather expensive. So..." he gestured to the painting, his face still quite red from embarrassment.

"And you allowed yourself to be painted like this?" Narcissa asked.

"I may have been drinking at the time..." said Severus.

Narcissa took a step closer, gazing at the dancing, stripping image of Severus in the painting. She then turned to him and said, "Is it possible you could have one like this made of Lucius?"