Ficlet: Obvious (Snape/Lupin, PG)
5 Aug 2011 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
westernredcedarTitle: Obvious
For:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
woldy
Prompt: tea and snark
Characters: Snape/Lupin, McGonagall, other faculty
Summary: Minerva has suspicions about two of her colleagues, and needs Poppy to help her sort it all out.
Length: 900
Rated: PG
Notes: Woldy, it took me forever to decide what to do with your prompt, but once I did it made me so happy to write. Hope you enjoy!
Faculty tea was served promptly at four o’clock, but most of the professors did not manage to reach the faculty lounge until ten minutes after the hour, what with straggling students, papers to gather, and messes to tidy.
Minerva tried to disguise that she had rushed there, but Poppy, already perched calmly in her seat, gave her a knowing look.
“Hurried here, did you?” Poppy asked in a whisper as Minerva took a seat at her side and poured her tea.
“Not at all,” Minerva replied. “You?”
“Not a bit,” Poppy retorted. “This is all very silly.”
“Just pay attention when they come...” Minerva was cut off as the door flew open, and Severus entered. She sat back and tried to look nonchalant, and sensed Poppy do the same.
Severus took his usual seat at the end of the table. He looked harried and miserable, robes askew and face flushed.
“Severus,” Minerva said, sipping her tea and nodding her head in greeting.
He eyed the her suspiciously. “What?”
“Difficult class?” she asked, indicating his ruffled appearance.
He looked down at himself and then quickly smoothed his robes back into order. “Yes. Indeed. Quite difficult.”
Filius and Charity wandered in at that moment, Charity moaning on as usual about idiot pureblood parents and how little they prepare their children for Muggle Studies. (“He didn’t even know how to turn on a bloody light switch, Filius! The boy is twelve years old! Who are these people?”) Remus eased into the lounge right behind them, his arms full of scrolls.
“See?” Minerva whispered into her cup so that only Poppy could hear, “Never more than a minute apart.”
Remus casually deposited his work in the seat diagonally across from Severus and joined the other new arrivals getting their tea. Minerva elbowed Poppy, who shifted in her seat.
Charity chattered on, but Minerva’s attention was on the two men at the far end of the table. They didn’t acknowledge each other at all, and Remus took his time adding a generous amount of milk to his cup before taking his seat.
Minerva could just make out Severus saying, “Some tea with your milk, Lupin?”
“Thank you, that would be lovely, Severus.” Lupin unrolled a scroll and started to read it. “And pick me up a scone while you’re at it, won’t you?”
“I don’t believe I saw any scones flavored with raw meat.”
“As tempting as scone tartare might be, I’ll also accept raspberry jam when it's offered.” Lupin made a mark with his quill on the parchment.
“I am not getting you a scone, Lupin.”
“Fine.” With a grin and a dramatic sigh, Remus leaned over the table and grabbed a scone from the tray.
Minerva bit her lip and kicked Poppy under the table. Poppy kicked her back and sipped her tea. Filius was now relating highlights of his most recent visit to the Isle of Man.
Remus marked two scrolls. Severus stared at the wall. Minerva pretended not to watch.
“Quite a nice essay by Ms. Parkinson, Severus,” Minerva heard Remus say at last.
“Why should I care?” Severus leaned back in his chair and extended his legs.
“She’s in your house? She’s been struggling? This is a great improvement?” Minerva admired the calm way Remus was able to meet Severus’s glare.
“No,” Severus replied. “Why should I care what you think of her?”
Remus leaned forward, unruffled, Minerva noted. “Because you do. Just let her know I said it was quite nice.”
“I see no value in a nice essay, Lupin. Has she waxed poetic on the adorableness of nifflers in her nice essay? Drivel. What she writes something important, let me know.” Severus gulped the last of his tea, tossed the cup to the table with a clatter, and rose to leave.
“I’ll be sure to do that,” Remus said, under his breath.
Minerva knew she was on the verge of staring as Severus swept out of the room. Remus closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair and shook his head ever so slightly. She might have imagined the little smile playing around his lips, but really, she rarely imagined things.
After a moment, Remus gathered his papers and bid the remaining faculty good afternoon.
“Well?” Poppy said, once the crowd had gone and they were alone. “I did not notice a thing.”
Minerva gave her a skeptical look. “Please, Poppy, if their sniping at each other didn’t convince you, what about the marks on Severus’s throat? Clear as day, just above his collar.”
“But, with Remus?” Poppy replied, lips pursed.
“I’m sure of it,” Minerva said. “What about Severus’s appearance? He doesn’t even teach a class before...”
At that moment, Charity popped back in the door and grabbed for one more scone. Minerva and Poppy both sat back abruptly. Charity raised an eyebrow.
“What are you two gossiping about?” Charity asked, her mouth full of scone.
“Oh nothing at all, dear,” Minerva said. Poppy shook her head.
Charity plopped down into the seat across from them and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Well then, here’s a good one for you. Which two unlikely professors do you suppose were screwing so loudly last night, I was kept awake with all the noise?” She took another enormous bite of scone.
Poppy gasped, and Minerva bit back her grin. She had known it was obvious.
For:
woldyPrompt: tea and snark
Characters: Snape/Lupin, McGonagall, other faculty
Summary: Minerva has suspicions about two of her colleagues, and needs Poppy to help her sort it all out.
Length: 900
Rated: PG
Notes: Woldy, it took me forever to decide what to do with your prompt, but once I did it made me so happy to write. Hope you enjoy!
Faculty tea was served promptly at four o’clock, but most of the professors did not manage to reach the faculty lounge until ten minutes after the hour, what with straggling students, papers to gather, and messes to tidy.
Minerva tried to disguise that she had rushed there, but Poppy, already perched calmly in her seat, gave her a knowing look.
“Hurried here, did you?” Poppy asked in a whisper as Minerva took a seat at her side and poured her tea.
“Not at all,” Minerva replied. “You?”
“Not a bit,” Poppy retorted. “This is all very silly.”
“Just pay attention when they come...” Minerva was cut off as the door flew open, and Severus entered. She sat back and tried to look nonchalant, and sensed Poppy do the same.
Severus took his usual seat at the end of the table. He looked harried and miserable, robes askew and face flushed.
“Severus,” Minerva said, sipping her tea and nodding her head in greeting.
He eyed the her suspiciously. “What?”
“Difficult class?” she asked, indicating his ruffled appearance.
He looked down at himself and then quickly smoothed his robes back into order. “Yes. Indeed. Quite difficult.”
Filius and Charity wandered in at that moment, Charity moaning on as usual about idiot pureblood parents and how little they prepare their children for Muggle Studies. (“He didn’t even know how to turn on a bloody light switch, Filius! The boy is twelve years old! Who are these people?”) Remus eased into the lounge right behind them, his arms full of scrolls.
“See?” Minerva whispered into her cup so that only Poppy could hear, “Never more than a minute apart.”
Remus casually deposited his work in the seat diagonally across from Severus and joined the other new arrivals getting their tea. Minerva elbowed Poppy, who shifted in her seat.
Charity chattered on, but Minerva’s attention was on the two men at the far end of the table. They didn’t acknowledge each other at all, and Remus took his time adding a generous amount of milk to his cup before taking his seat.
Minerva could just make out Severus saying, “Some tea with your milk, Lupin?”
“Thank you, that would be lovely, Severus.” Lupin unrolled a scroll and started to read it. “And pick me up a scone while you’re at it, won’t you?”
“I don’t believe I saw any scones flavored with raw meat.”
“As tempting as scone tartare might be, I’ll also accept raspberry jam when it's offered.” Lupin made a mark with his quill on the parchment.
“I am not getting you a scone, Lupin.”
“Fine.” With a grin and a dramatic sigh, Remus leaned over the table and grabbed a scone from the tray.
Minerva bit her lip and kicked Poppy under the table. Poppy kicked her back and sipped her tea. Filius was now relating highlights of his most recent visit to the Isle of Man.
Remus marked two scrolls. Severus stared at the wall. Minerva pretended not to watch.
“Quite a nice essay by Ms. Parkinson, Severus,” Minerva heard Remus say at last.
“Why should I care?” Severus leaned back in his chair and extended his legs.
“She’s in your house? She’s been struggling? This is a great improvement?” Minerva admired the calm way Remus was able to meet Severus’s glare.
“No,” Severus replied. “Why should I care what you think of her?”
Remus leaned forward, unruffled, Minerva noted. “Because you do. Just let her know I said it was quite nice.”
“I see no value in a nice essay, Lupin. Has she waxed poetic on the adorableness of nifflers in her nice essay? Drivel. What she writes something important, let me know.” Severus gulped the last of his tea, tossed the cup to the table with a clatter, and rose to leave.
“I’ll be sure to do that,” Remus said, under his breath.
Minerva knew she was on the verge of staring as Severus swept out of the room. Remus closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair and shook his head ever so slightly. She might have imagined the little smile playing around his lips, but really, she rarely imagined things.
After a moment, Remus gathered his papers and bid the remaining faculty good afternoon.
“Well?” Poppy said, once the crowd had gone and they were alone. “I did not notice a thing.”
Minerva gave her a skeptical look. “Please, Poppy, if their sniping at each other didn’t convince you, what about the marks on Severus’s throat? Clear as day, just above his collar.”
“But, with Remus?” Poppy replied, lips pursed.
“I’m sure of it,” Minerva said. “What about Severus’s appearance? He doesn’t even teach a class before...”
At that moment, Charity popped back in the door and grabbed for one more scone. Minerva and Poppy both sat back abruptly. Charity raised an eyebrow.
“What are you two gossiping about?” Charity asked, her mouth full of scone.
“Oh nothing at all, dear,” Minerva said. Poppy shook her head.
Charity plopped down into the seat across from them and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Well then, here’s a good one for you. Which two unlikely professors do you suppose were screwing so loudly last night, I was kept awake with all the noise?” She took another enormous bite of scone.
Poppy gasped, and Minerva bit back her grin. She had known it was obvious.