Sunday Bubbles
Severus woke late Sunday morning trying to work out a way to include Hermione and Albus in his plans for Hospital Wing brewing. The contract with his current Potions professor, a lazy but shrewd sod, failed to incorporate the phrase ‘must brew a certain amount of medicinal potions monthly for the Hospital Wing’. Severus had offered to brew for Poppy whenever she was short, and future contract verbiage was reworked. Thankfully, his current professor was on his trial year and would not be returning. His replacement was an actual Potion Master, retiring from the DoM, for which he had extremely high hopes.
Finishing his brunch, he stood on the balcony with his second cup of coffee, watching Hermione and Albus chase—or be chased—by Hagrid’s over-large puppy, Knob. Snorting a laugh, he noticed the two blond heads approaching the entrance gate, immediately asked the castle to open the gates, and went down to greet them. Having decided to forgo his coat and robes for the day, he rolled up his shirtsleeves as he reached the Entrance Hall, taking the stairs down to the front path.
Halfway to the Hogwarts gates, Severus raised a hand in greeting to Draco and Scorpius before catching sight of Hermione, flat on her back, trying to fend off Knob. Albus, tugging on the pup’s collar to rescue his Auntie, saw the Headmaster and immediately let go. Knob stumbled, then plopped across Hermione’s chest as the boy began running towards Severus, yelling, “Uncle Seberus, Uncle Seberus!” Realising the boy had no intention of stopping, the Headmaster caught Albus in mid-leap and swung the laughing child up to his shoulders. Severus stopped walking when they came to Hermione’s prone, pinned body.
“Good morning, Professor Granger. Enjoying ourselves, are we?” he asked with a smirk. Knob barked in response, and Severus’ deep chuckle resounded across the green, echoed by Albus’ giggles. When Knob responded to Hagrid’s call from down the hill, Severus carefully reached down and offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet.
As Draco and Scorpius drew near, they heard a loud, exaggerated whisper say, “Make me ta-a-all, Papa, p’ease?” Draco chuckled as he swung his son onto his shoulders, level with Albus.
“Hi, hi!” Albus said happily, removing his hands from Severus’ head to wave both of them at Scorpius. “My name is Albus Seberus Potter; wass you name?”
“Hallo,” the small blond boy replied with a shy grin, “My name is Scorpius Hypewion Mowfoy. Hi, Auntie Mia!”
“Hello, loves,” Hermione replied, kissing Draco on the cheek after planting a loud smooch on one of Scorp’s palms.
“What are you doing here?” Draco asked the woman he’d pulled into a side hug. She stepped away from him and gave him a flourishing bow.
“Adjunct Transfiguration Professor Hermione Granger, at your service, sir,” Hermione said in her poshest voice. Laughing, he set Scorpius down as Severus did the same with Albus, the boys running off in search of Knob.
“I hope we’ve not inconvenienced you, Severus, dropping in unannounced,” Draco said, “We were shopping in Hogsmeade, and Scorp wanted to say hi.”
“Ob-viously,” Severus drawled, glancing at the cavorting boys and pup halfway across the green. Draco snorted as the Headmaster continued. “Your visit is well-timed, as long as you don’t mind me putting you to work.”
“If you have brewing to do,” Hermione cut in with a smile, “You could put both of us to work. Besides, for some odd reason, Al is dying to see the dungeons.” At Severus’ wry smile, she shrugged, laughing. “I know, I know…Slytherin.”
“Albus is a Slytherin?” Draco mouthed silently, eyebrows raised.
“Like as not,” Hermione murmured back, and Draco grinned like the snake he was.
“Speaking of which,” Severus interrupted, “What shall we do with the boys?”
“Not a problem,” Draco replied, “We cordon off the corridor in front of the potions lab and give them something to play on—I do it all the time at home. Add a few cushioning and safety charms, and voilà!”
A shrill whistle from Severus recalled the boys, who were excited to hear they were going to the ‘dun-jin’. When they’d arrived, the Potion Master grinned as his wand flicked a long list onto a nearby whiteboard.
“You may commence slicing and crushing ingredients whilst you ready a few basic bases—if you cannot recall the instructions, you’ll find them here,” Severus said, floating a book labelled ‘Poppy’s Curatives’ to one of the tables. “I shall be taking these young gentlemen on a short tour of the scariest parts of the dungeons. Now, chop, chop,” he smirked as he took the boys by the hand and walked out of the lab.
Draco snorted. “I take it you’ve noticed how we’re left behind doing the drudge work…”
“Yeah…, why is that?”
“Maybe it’s because he’s the boss of you,” Draco grinned.
Hermione rolled her eyes, laughing, as they made their way to the ingredients cupboard.