Drabble: A Focussed Approach
Mar. 10th, 2018 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: A Focussed Approach
Author:alisanne
Pairing/Characters: Severus Snape/Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: PG
Challenge: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
snape100/![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
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snape100's prompt # 733: Snape's New Year's Resolutions - Focus more on Appearance.
This is part Forty-Five of my Snape: Horcrux Hunter series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Warning(s): AU.
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.
~
A Focussed Approach
~
Severus sighed. “At least this means I won’t have to go shopping for new robes.”
“Why would you have had to do that?” Kingsley asked, frowning.
“If we planned to go to Gringotts and access an old vault, I would need to dress better.” He eyed his robes. “Something more formal perhaps? More layers.”
“Not necessarily.” Kingsley smirked. “And I’d prefer if you wore less, not more.”
Severus rolled his eyes. “You have a one-track mind.”
“Only when you’re around,” murmured Kingsley. “Anyway, since we’re not going to Gringotts, but attacking the Manor directly, our task just got more difficult.”
~
“Indeed.” Severus bit his lip. “We’ve a chance to get it without attacking, however.”
“Oh?”
“I could go in, pretend to have escaped, gain his trust, and when he isn’t looking, retrieve the cup.”
“Absolutely not, it’s too risky!”
Severus huffed. “You heard Dobby, he thinks I’ve been captured. If I rip my robes a bit and put on a few judicious hex burns, he’ll never know!”
Kingsley groaned. “There must be another way.” He eyed Dobby. “Surely you could get it—”
Dobby’s eyes got big. “Cup is warded against elves.”
“Kingsley.” Severus touched his arm. “It’s the only way.”
~
“I refuse to accept that.” Kingsley began pacing. “You barely escaped last time, you can’t return.”
“We barely escaped,” Severus said. “And the only reason we were in danger was because you were there and Bellatrix’s paranoia made her follow me—”
“So it’s my fault we were almost captured?” Kingsley said, voice dangerously quiet. “But for my appearance, everything would have been fine?”
“No,” Severus gritted out, “I’m glad you came. But this time I need to go alone, and since Bellatrix won’t be there—”
“Tom’s even more paranoid than Bellatrix!”
“Exactly! Which means I should go alone and soon.”
~
“No.” Kingsley’s expression was implacable. “It means Dobby transports us to the Manor, dropping us off as close as he can to the cup, and the moment we get it, he brings us back.”
Severus shook his head. “That’s too dangerous. At least if Tom catches me, I’ve a chance of talking myself out of danger. The moment you appear, he’ll kill you.”
“He won’t see me.” Kingsley smiled tightly. “Or have you forgotten he can’t penetrate my Invisibility Shield?”
“It’s still too dangerous.”
Kingsley crossed his arms. “Then we’re at an impasse. I’m not letting you go without me.”
~
Frustrated, Severus collapsed onto the sofa. “Why are you so stubborn?”
Kingsley settled beside him. “From my perspective, you appear to be the stubborn one, ready to throw your life away.”
“I’m not.” Severus sighed. “I can’t help but feel guilty, though. I promised to avenge Regulus, and if I don’t do it, I’ll have failed his memory.”
Kingsley hummed, clasping Severus’ hand. “Would Regulus have wanted you to die bringing him down?”
Severus snorted. “No! He would probably rise up from his grave and smack me for being an idiot.”
“Exactly. So let’s do this the smart way.”
“Fine.”
~
After their intense discussion, Severus felt wrung out. Sighing, he leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes.
“I could use a brandy,” said Kingsley. “Would you like one?”
“Please,” said Severus.
The sofa shifted and Severus heard glasses clinking.
“Here you go.”
Opening his eyes, Severus sat up, accepting the snifter. Putting it up to his nose, he inhaled, allowing the fumes to saturate his senses before sipping. He hummed.
“Better?”
Severus nodded. “Definitely.”
“Right. Although we can’t agree on an attack plan for the Manor, I’ve worked out how to get your notes.”
“Oh? How?”
Kingsley smirked. “Dobby.”
~
Severus frowned. “What about him?”
Kingsley winked. “Dobby?”
Dobby, standing in the corner, looked up. “Master Kingsley, sir?”
“Do you know where Severus lives?”
Dobby’s eyes flicked to Severus. “Yes, Master Kingsley.”
“He requires his notes. Go collect them, and bring them here.”
“Yes, Master—”
“Wait!” snapped Severus. “If anyone’s watching my place, they’ll hear him,” he said to Kingsley.
“Yes, but he’s an elf. They’ll think nothing of an elf appearing. They’ll probably assume he’s there to clean or something.”
“Maybe.” Severus eyed Dobby. “Be careful. And there’s a hiding place inside a wall. I’ll need those notes, too.”
~
Once Dobby left, Severus groaned. “This would’ve been so much easier if he weren’t so bloody paranoid.”
Kingsley chuckled. “Not to defend him at all, but is it unjustifiable paranoia if people are after you?”
“I suppose not.” Severus shook his head. “Trust you to see his side.”
“It’s the curse of the Ravenclaw,” said Kingsley. “We’re often prepared to argue multiple sides of a topic, so we tend to examine things from all angles.”
“So do Slytherins.” Severus smirked. “Although in our case it’s usually to check for any exploitable weaknesses.”
Laughing, Kingsley kissed him. “Of course it is.”
~
When Dobby appeared, Severus, tucked into Kingsley’s side, sat up. “Did you get everything?”
“Yes, Master Severus.” Dobby gestured, and piles of parchments and books started appearing.
“Rowena bless,” murmured Kingsley as the stacks multiplied. “He brought your entire library!”
“Apparently so.” Severus coughed. “Do you have a spare trunk? If so, I can place an Undetectable Extension Charm on it and—”
“I’ve something even better,” said Kingsley, standing up. “Stay here.”
Dobby was still depositing parchments and books when Kingsley returned with a suitcase. “Here. This belonged to my great-grandfather who travelled with Newt Scamander. It should do nicely.”
~
Continued in Relationship Focus (LJ/IJ/DW).
Author:
alisannePairing/Characters: Severus Snape/Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: PG
Challenge: Written for
snape100/snape100/snape100's prompt # 733: Snape's New Year's Resolutions - Focus more on Appearance.This is part Forty-Five of my Snape: Horcrux Hunter series (LJ/IJ/DW).
Warning(s): AU.
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.
~
A Focussed Approach
~
Severus sighed. “At least this means I won’t have to go shopping for new robes.”
“Why would you have had to do that?” Kingsley asked, frowning.
“If we planned to go to Gringotts and access an old vault, I would need to dress better.” He eyed his robes. “Something more formal perhaps? More layers.”
“Not necessarily.” Kingsley smirked. “And I’d prefer if you wore less, not more.”
Severus rolled his eyes. “You have a one-track mind.”
“Only when you’re around,” murmured Kingsley. “Anyway, since we’re not going to Gringotts, but attacking the Manor directly, our task just got more difficult.”
~
“Indeed.” Severus bit his lip. “We’ve a chance to get it without attacking, however.”
“Oh?”
“I could go in, pretend to have escaped, gain his trust, and when he isn’t looking, retrieve the cup.”
“Absolutely not, it’s too risky!”
Severus huffed. “You heard Dobby, he thinks I’ve been captured. If I rip my robes a bit and put on a few judicious hex burns, he’ll never know!”
Kingsley groaned. “There must be another way.” He eyed Dobby. “Surely you could get it—”
Dobby’s eyes got big. “Cup is warded against elves.”
“Kingsley.” Severus touched his arm. “It’s the only way.”
~
“I refuse to accept that.” Kingsley began pacing. “You barely escaped last time, you can’t return.”
“We barely escaped,” Severus said. “And the only reason we were in danger was because you were there and Bellatrix’s paranoia made her follow me—”
“So it’s my fault we were almost captured?” Kingsley said, voice dangerously quiet. “But for my appearance, everything would have been fine?”
“No,” Severus gritted out, “I’m glad you came. But this time I need to go alone, and since Bellatrix won’t be there—”
“Tom’s even more paranoid than Bellatrix!”
“Exactly! Which means I should go alone and soon.”
~
“No.” Kingsley’s expression was implacable. “It means Dobby transports us to the Manor, dropping us off as close as he can to the cup, and the moment we get it, he brings us back.”
Severus shook his head. “That’s too dangerous. At least if Tom catches me, I’ve a chance of talking myself out of danger. The moment you appear, he’ll kill you.”
“He won’t see me.” Kingsley smiled tightly. “Or have you forgotten he can’t penetrate my Invisibility Shield?”
“It’s still too dangerous.”
Kingsley crossed his arms. “Then we’re at an impasse. I’m not letting you go without me.”
~
Frustrated, Severus collapsed onto the sofa. “Why are you so stubborn?”
Kingsley settled beside him. “From my perspective, you appear to be the stubborn one, ready to throw your life away.”
“I’m not.” Severus sighed. “I can’t help but feel guilty, though. I promised to avenge Regulus, and if I don’t do it, I’ll have failed his memory.”
Kingsley hummed, clasping Severus’ hand. “Would Regulus have wanted you to die bringing him down?”
Severus snorted. “No! He would probably rise up from his grave and smack me for being an idiot.”
“Exactly. So let’s do this the smart way.”
“Fine.”
~
After their intense discussion, Severus felt wrung out. Sighing, he leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes.
“I could use a brandy,” said Kingsley. “Would you like one?”
“Please,” said Severus.
The sofa shifted and Severus heard glasses clinking.
“Here you go.”
Opening his eyes, Severus sat up, accepting the snifter. Putting it up to his nose, he inhaled, allowing the fumes to saturate his senses before sipping. He hummed.
“Better?”
Severus nodded. “Definitely.”
“Right. Although we can’t agree on an attack plan for the Manor, I’ve worked out how to get your notes.”
“Oh? How?”
Kingsley smirked. “Dobby.”
~
Severus frowned. “What about him?”
Kingsley winked. “Dobby?”
Dobby, standing in the corner, looked up. “Master Kingsley, sir?”
“Do you know where Severus lives?”
Dobby’s eyes flicked to Severus. “Yes, Master Kingsley.”
“He requires his notes. Go collect them, and bring them here.”
“Yes, Master—”
“Wait!” snapped Severus. “If anyone’s watching my place, they’ll hear him,” he said to Kingsley.
“Yes, but he’s an elf. They’ll think nothing of an elf appearing. They’ll probably assume he’s there to clean or something.”
“Maybe.” Severus eyed Dobby. “Be careful. And there’s a hiding place inside a wall. I’ll need those notes, too.”
~
Once Dobby left, Severus groaned. “This would’ve been so much easier if he weren’t so bloody paranoid.”
Kingsley chuckled. “Not to defend him at all, but is it unjustifiable paranoia if people are after you?”
“I suppose not.” Severus shook his head. “Trust you to see his side.”
“It’s the curse of the Ravenclaw,” said Kingsley. “We’re often prepared to argue multiple sides of a topic, so we tend to examine things from all angles.”
“So do Slytherins.” Severus smirked. “Although in our case it’s usually to check for any exploitable weaknesses.”
Laughing, Kingsley kissed him. “Of course it is.”
~
When Dobby appeared, Severus, tucked into Kingsley’s side, sat up. “Did you get everything?”
“Yes, Master Severus.” Dobby gestured, and piles of parchments and books started appearing.
“Rowena bless,” murmured Kingsley as the stacks multiplied. “He brought your entire library!”
“Apparently so.” Severus coughed. “Do you have a spare trunk? If so, I can place an Undetectable Extension Charm on it and—”
“I’ve something even better,” said Kingsley, standing up. “Stay here.”
Dobby was still depositing parchments and books when Kingsley returned with a suitcase. “Here. This belonged to my great-grandfather who travelled with Newt Scamander. It should do nicely.”
~
Continued in Relationship Focus (LJ/IJ/DW).
