Fic: In Search of a Good Book
Dec. 22nd, 2017 12:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: In Search of a Good Book
Author:alisanne
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape, Pomona Sprout, Albus Dumbledore.
Word Count: 1060
Warnings: None.
A/N: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
adventdrabbles/![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
adventdrabbles's prompt # 21: Relaxing with a book and beverage.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
~
In Search of a Good Book
~
When the owl delivered Minerva’s package early that December morning, she smiled.
“Something good?” asked Albus.
“A new book.” Minerva beamed. “It’s apparently a best seller in America. I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Excellent. Enjoy,” said Albus.
Inclining her head, Minerva tucked the book into her robes. “I shall.”
Minerva had just settled into an armchair with her new book and a cup of tea that evening when the knock came. Heaving a sigh, she stood, put down her book and beverage, and went to the door.
“He’s done it again!” Pomona cried, pushing past her. “That horrible man stomped all over my flowers and then had the gall to say he’d been searching for students! In my greenhouse!”
“Come right in,” muttered Minerva under her breath.
“What was that?” asked Pomona. “Ooh, is that tea? I missed mine.”
Minerva pasted a smile onto her face. “Then do join me,” she said, levitating over another cup and a tin of biscuits.
Pomona plopped herself down on a chair and sighed. “I don’t mind if I do. Honestly, that man. Why does he even work here anyway?”
“Mr Filch again?” asked Minerva. At Pomona’s nod, she said, “Well, it’s not as if he has anywhere else to go.”
“No, I suppose not.” Pomona made a face. “But if he tramples my begonias one more time—”
And as Pomona prattled on, Minerva set her book aside for another time.
~
It was three days later when Minerva managed to have another evening free. Once again, she settled with the book, and that evening her tea contained a spot of brandy. She had even placed a do not disturb ward on her door.
Allowing a contented sigh to escape, she opened her book to begin to read.
“Minerva?”
Minerva closed her eyes. How had she forgotten the Floo? For a moment she contemplated not answering.
“Minerva, are you there?”
It was the Headmaster. Who knew what disaster had befallen now? “Yes, Albus, I’m here,” she replied, setting down her book and walking over to the Floo.
“Thank Merlin.” Albus blinked up at her. “One of the Ravenclaws had an accident, and I need someone to stay with her while I reach her parents.”
Minerva raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t that be Filius?”
“Normally yes, but he was part of the accident. They’re both in the infirmary recovering.”
“What happened?”
Albus sighed. “They were in the library and a stack of books fell on them. I think they tried to pull too many from the shelves at the same time.”
Minerva shook her head. “Ravenclaws.”
“Exactly.” Albus smiled. “You’re the closest thing I have to one at the moment, so could you—?”
Minerva sighed. “I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” said Albus. “And at least it happened on a night when not much else is going on.”
“Yes,” said Minerva, casting one last, longing look at the book and beverage. “How fortunate.”
~
It was Sunday night and Minerva slipped into her quarters, locked and warded the door, and waved a hand at the Floo, closing it. Pursing her lips, she contemplated all others ways of getting into her quarters.
Apparation was out; only Albus could do that, and he was in London for a governors meeting. Her window was too high up for anyone to knock, although someone could fly… Smirking, Minerva set a repellant ward on her window, too.
Then, pleased with herself, she walked over to the bookshelf to retrieve the book. On her way past her bedroom, she glanced in, then continued, freezing when she realised what she had seen.
Slowly, she backed up.
Severus, a rose between his teeth and a bow around his…privates, lay on her bed, posed on his side. “I wondered how long it would take you to notice me,” he purred.
Minerva blinked. “Did we have a date tonight?”
Severus shrugged. “No, but since the Christmas holidays begin soon, I thought you’d like your gift now.” He winked.
Minerva bit her lip. “I’d planned on a quiet evening—”
Smirking, Severus reached behind himself and picked up a double headed dildo. “You’ve been saying you wanted to try pegging, so I thought—”
Minerva licked her lips. The book could wait. “Well,” she said, entering the bedroom, “when you put it that way, how can I refuse?”
~
Minerva attempted to read her book a few more times, but something always interfered, and whether it was a student Banishing all their bones in an attempt at becoming an Animagus, or Albus asking her to write his budget report for him, or Severus wanting more date nights than usual, it always seemed to take away from her being able to relax and read the book about which she’d heard so many things.
Finally, on the last day of term before the start of the Christmas holiday, she let it be known she was leaving early. She said all her goodbyes to her friends on staff (including an especially lovely and secluded snog with Severus), before heading back to her quarters.
There she remained until early evening, when she spotted the last of the staff departing. Even Filch had left to spend time with relatives in Bath.
She smiled. The castle was empty but for the ghosts, the elves, and Peeves; none of them were likely to require her assistance. And, as there were at least ten people at her ancestral home where she was spending the holidays, she had no intention of going there until she’d finally had her quiet evening of reading.
Eschewing the tea, she opted for Scotch, and, settling into her chair, she opened the book and began to read.
Only half a page in, however, and she paused. Frowning, she turned it over to read the blurb on the back. “Twilight,” she muttered, scanning the reviews and synopsis. “This is drivel”
Tossing it aside, she eyed her luggage. “I may as well head back to the manor if I’ve nothing new to read,” she sighed.
After she’d shrunk her suitcases, her eyes landed on another book, one Aurora had said she’d love.
Minerva hummed. “When I get back I’ll give you a chance,” she murmured, picking it up and turning it over in her hands. “Fifty Shades of Grey, hm? Very well. I’m looking forward to finally reading something good.”
~
Author:
alisanneRating: PG-13
Pairing: Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape, Pomona Sprout, Albus Dumbledore.
Word Count: 1060
Warnings: None.
A/N: Written for
adventdrabbles/adventdrabbles's prompt # 21: Relaxing with a book and beverage. Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
~
In Search of a Good Book
~
When the owl delivered Minerva’s package early that December morning, she smiled.
“Something good?” asked Albus.
“A new book.” Minerva beamed. “It’s apparently a best seller in America. I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Excellent. Enjoy,” said Albus.
Inclining her head, Minerva tucked the book into her robes. “I shall.”
Minerva had just settled into an armchair with her new book and a cup of tea that evening when the knock came. Heaving a sigh, she stood, put down her book and beverage, and went to the door.
“He’s done it again!” Pomona cried, pushing past her. “That horrible man stomped all over my flowers and then had the gall to say he’d been searching for students! In my greenhouse!”
“Come right in,” muttered Minerva under her breath.
“What was that?” asked Pomona. “Ooh, is that tea? I missed mine.”
Minerva pasted a smile onto her face. “Then do join me,” she said, levitating over another cup and a tin of biscuits.
Pomona plopped herself down on a chair and sighed. “I don’t mind if I do. Honestly, that man. Why does he even work here anyway?”
“Mr Filch again?” asked Minerva. At Pomona’s nod, she said, “Well, it’s not as if he has anywhere else to go.”
“No, I suppose not.” Pomona made a face. “But if he tramples my begonias one more time—”
And as Pomona prattled on, Minerva set her book aside for another time.
~
It was three days later when Minerva managed to have another evening free. Once again, she settled with the book, and that evening her tea contained a spot of brandy. She had even placed a do not disturb ward on her door.
Allowing a contented sigh to escape, she opened her book to begin to read.
“Minerva?”
Minerva closed her eyes. How had she forgotten the Floo? For a moment she contemplated not answering.
“Minerva, are you there?”
It was the Headmaster. Who knew what disaster had befallen now? “Yes, Albus, I’m here,” she replied, setting down her book and walking over to the Floo.
“Thank Merlin.” Albus blinked up at her. “One of the Ravenclaws had an accident, and I need someone to stay with her while I reach her parents.”
Minerva raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t that be Filius?”
“Normally yes, but he was part of the accident. They’re both in the infirmary recovering.”
“What happened?”
Albus sighed. “They were in the library and a stack of books fell on them. I think they tried to pull too many from the shelves at the same time.”
Minerva shook her head. “Ravenclaws.”
“Exactly.” Albus smiled. “You’re the closest thing I have to one at the moment, so could you—?”
Minerva sighed. “I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” said Albus. “And at least it happened on a night when not much else is going on.”
“Yes,” said Minerva, casting one last, longing look at the book and beverage. “How fortunate.”
~
It was Sunday night and Minerva slipped into her quarters, locked and warded the door, and waved a hand at the Floo, closing it. Pursing her lips, she contemplated all others ways of getting into her quarters.
Apparation was out; only Albus could do that, and he was in London for a governors meeting. Her window was too high up for anyone to knock, although someone could fly… Smirking, Minerva set a repellant ward on her window, too.
Then, pleased with herself, she walked over to the bookshelf to retrieve the book. On her way past her bedroom, she glanced in, then continued, freezing when she realised what she had seen.
Slowly, she backed up.
Severus, a rose between his teeth and a bow around his…privates, lay on her bed, posed on his side. “I wondered how long it would take you to notice me,” he purred.
Minerva blinked. “Did we have a date tonight?”
Severus shrugged. “No, but since the Christmas holidays begin soon, I thought you’d like your gift now.” He winked.
Minerva bit her lip. “I’d planned on a quiet evening—”
Smirking, Severus reached behind himself and picked up a double headed dildo. “You’ve been saying you wanted to try pegging, so I thought—”
Minerva licked her lips. The book could wait. “Well,” she said, entering the bedroom, “when you put it that way, how can I refuse?”
~
Minerva attempted to read her book a few more times, but something always interfered, and whether it was a student Banishing all their bones in an attempt at becoming an Animagus, or Albus asking her to write his budget report for him, or Severus wanting more date nights than usual, it always seemed to take away from her being able to relax and read the book about which she’d heard so many things.
Finally, on the last day of term before the start of the Christmas holiday, she let it be known she was leaving early. She said all her goodbyes to her friends on staff (including an especially lovely and secluded snog with Severus), before heading back to her quarters.
There she remained until early evening, when she spotted the last of the staff departing. Even Filch had left to spend time with relatives in Bath.
She smiled. The castle was empty but for the ghosts, the elves, and Peeves; none of them were likely to require her assistance. And, as there were at least ten people at her ancestral home where she was spending the holidays, she had no intention of going there until she’d finally had her quiet evening of reading.
Eschewing the tea, she opted for Scotch, and, settling into her chair, she opened the book and began to read.
Only half a page in, however, and she paused. Frowning, she turned it over to read the blurb on the back. “Twilight,” she muttered, scanning the reviews and synopsis. “This is drivel”
Tossing it aside, she eyed her luggage. “I may as well head back to the manor if I’ve nothing new to read,” she sighed.
After she’d shrunk her suitcases, her eyes landed on another book, one Aurora had said she’d love.
Minerva hummed. “When I get back I’ll give you a chance,” she murmured, picking it up and turning it over in her hands. “Fifty Shades of Grey, hm? Very well. I’m looking forward to finally reading something good.”
~
