Mahlia the House Elf
1984
Hogwarts, staff room
Albus was sat in a throne like chair at the table in the staff room, looking over his plans for the staff meeting that would be taking place in half an hour. There’s been an increase of the Purebloods targeting the Muggleborns and Halfbloods, that will need to be addressed. It would most likely take up a majority of the meeting. He sighs for a moment, contemplating. Every year they get worse. It’s like their society is devolving instead of evolving.
As he’s crossing off a mistake that he hadn’t noticed until now he hears a quiet chuckling, he’s sure that it sounds like Minerva. The door to the room opens revealing his Transfiguration professor, hand covering her mouth as she chuckles. In her other hand she’s carrying a packet of biscuits, digestives.
“Hello, Minerva. Come in, come in. What has amused you so, my dear?” He smiles, putting his quill to rest in his ink pot. She doesn’t walk any further into the room, just laughs harder, hand lowering from her face and reaching to grasp the door frame to keep herself upright.
“Oh hello Albus-“ she pauses to catch her breath, calming down from her fit of joy and clears her throat, “-excuse me, well I was just popping to the kitchens to grab us a little treat and, just as I had tickled the pear, I heard a rather squeaky voice seemingly berating somebody for not eating as they should.” She again pauses, letting a little giggle escape before she calms herself once more, “I was curious, so I decided to take a peek, you know, make sure that it wasn’t a student who is struggling with something serious.” Albus nods, it is not unusual for the staff to get informed by the house elves, of students who were struggling with eating disorders, in fact it has become quite common in recent years.
“I’m assuming that by your current joy, it was not a student?” He asks, just in case he’ll have to set up another appointment with Poppy for an unwell student.
“No, no don’t worry, I found no student. Instead, I found Mahlia, the main house elf that sees to the staff's needs? 1984
Hogwarts, staff room
Albus was sat in a throne like chair at the table in the staff room, looking over his plans for the staff meeting that will be taking place in half an hour. There’s been an increase in the purebloods targeting the muggleborns and halfbloods, that will need to be addressed. It will most likely take up most of the meeting. He sighs. Every year, they get worse. It’s like their society is devolving instead of evolving.
As he’s crossing off a mistake that he hadn’t noticed until now he hears a quiet chuckling, he’s sure that it sounds like Minerva. The door to the room opens revealing his Transfiguration professor, hand covering her mouth as she chuckles. In her other hand she’s carrying a packet of biscuits, digestives.
“Hello, Minerva. Come in, come in. What has amused you so, my dear?” He smiles, putting his quill to rest in his ink pot. She doesn’t walk any further into the room, she just laughs harder, hand lowering from her face and reaching to grasp the door frame to keep her upright.
“Oh hello Albus-“ she pauses to catch her breath, calming down from her fit of joy, she clears her throat, “-excuse me, well I was just popping to the kitchens to grab us a little treat and just as I had tickled the pear I heard a rather squeaky voice seemingly berating someone for not eating as they should.” She again pauses, letting a little giggle escape before she calms herself once more, “I was curious, so I decided to take a peek, you know, make sure that it wasn’t a student who is struggling with something serious.” Albus nods, it is not unusual for the staff to get informed by the house elves, of students who were struggling with eating disorders, in fact it has become quite common in recent years.
“I’m assuming that by your current joy, it was not a student?” He asks, just in case he’ll have to set up another appointment with Poppy for an unwell student.
“No, no don’t worry, I found no student. Instead, I found Mahlia, the main house elf that sees to the staff's needs?-“ she looks to him, making sure he knows who she means, he smiles and nods. He is rather fond of the old elf; she checks in with him a few times a day to make sure he’s alright. She nods back, reassured she doesn’t have to explain further, “-anyway I found Mahlia berating Severus on his eating habits. He kept trying to defend himself, but she just kept cutting him off. It was quite an amusing sight. Our feared potions master getting told off as if he were a naughty child.” She laughs to herself again, finally walking the rest of the way into the room and sitting in the chair beside his.
Albus chuckles softly, “Mmhm, I myself have caught a few of the other house elves fussing over him.” He doesn’t blame them, he too struggles not to fawn over the boy as if he is an infant, the only reason he manages to keep control of himself is due to the high level of respect he has for the young Potions Master. Well, that and he isn’t entirely sure that Severus wouldn’t murder him if he gave into the odd impulse of wrapping him up in bubble wrap.
“I have as well, I’m not sure why it was so amusing this time, but alas.
I don’t blame them for their fawning, if I wasn’t sure he’d enact a painful revenge I’m sure I would act the same.” She huffed a laugh after speaking, privately amused at how the elves were sure that he wouldn’t harm them no matter how often they nagged at him to look after himself. He did seem to have a soft spot for the little creatures.
“Indeed. It is sometimes rather difficult to remember that he is an adult now, not that eleven-year-old boy we first met.” He smiles to himself, remembering the first time he met the boy. So shy and yet bursting with curiosity for the world he had always known of but had never gotten to truly experience.
They both sat and enjoyed the silence between them as they reminiscence on the young boy they had grown to care for, truly care for, not just how they cared for their students, a more personal kind of care. A few moments of quiet later, and Minerva broke it by clearing her throat.
“Still, I suppose it’s good that he lets them fuss. Not that he has much choice in that, mind. But God knows that boy needs someone looking after him.” She sighed, worried about him as usual. And he really didn’t have a choice, the elves were rather good at forcing their care upon you, especially when you did not want it.
“Mmhm, now if only he would actually let anyone else even attempt to show him the care he deserves.” They worried about him, constantly. Of course they did, he was their colleague, their friend, their family. And he had been since that first day at Hogwarts, not as a boy but as a man. Not over the trauma of the war but carrying on anyway. They knew many of the students, barring his Slytherins, disliked him, they knew he was strict, he had to be. His craft was one of the most dangerous of magics, and yet unlike previous professors of the subject he has yet to have a single death in his class. He was strict, because he had to be. Many of his past students knew that, but they only realised when they graduated or got into a profession regarding potions. Only then did they figure out that he was keeping them safe, keeping them Alive. They knew this, and loved him for it, and they hoped that their students would one day too.
“Yes, well, perhaps one day.” She prayed he would let someone in, he needed it. Needed someone to keep him sane. After she had spoken, Albus got back to his plans for the meeting and Minerva sat and watched the sun set through the window across from her.
Some time had passed, almost being time for the rest of the staff to join them, when Minerva remembered what she had found so funny in the first place.
“Albus.” Her tone wobbled, not in upset but in repressed laughter. He looked up, curious as to what had set her off this time.
“My dear?”
“Albus, she said he eats like a bird.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, realising Mahlia had told the man the same thing as they both had many, many times.
--------------------------------------------------
When the rest of the staff entered the room five minutes later, they were greeted by the sight of their headmaster and deputy clutching their sides as they giggled like the children they taught. They looked between themselves confused, and tried, and failed, to get them to reveal what was so funny. They were both laughing too much to breathe, let alone speak so they just waved their hands dismissably to their colleagues. Distracted as they were by the sight of the most powerful people in Hogwarts crying as they laughed, they didn't notice their youngest colleague slipping in through the door behind them, until they heard his explosive sigh and his muttered, “Seriously, Minerva? It's not that funny.” as he made his way to his usual seat, next to Albus and across from Minerva.
The moment they saw Severus, their laughter ticked up a notch. They were both folded over the table clutching their stomachs. He watched them both for a moment, his lips quirking upwards slightly, before he sighed and shifted slightly. Everyone in the room heard his boot make contact with Albus’ before he said, “shut up, Albus.”
----------------------
Later that evening, albus thought back to the ‘meeting’ with a smile. Considering how long it took for himself and Minerva to calm down, they didn't get any of what they should have done, done.
But that was okay, there was always tomorrow. And at least they hall all gotten to see Severus’ rare smile. He smiled more than people thought, but he had a soft one he hardly ever wore. And that smile was the one that had made a few appearances tonight. Which albus counted as a win, even if it meant he was behind schedule.