Severus & Serena One Shots

The Best Laid Plans

"Serena, may I have a word with you?" Minerva breezed into her classroom that frigid January Monday as the students were pouring out into the hallways.

She zapped the furniture back into order, and tossed the spare bits of parchment from the floor. Smiling a little nervously, she closed the door behind Minerva with her wand and pulled up a chair for her to sit.

"No need to be anxious dear, you're doing marvelously well" Minerva started out, her hands folded politely in her lap.

Serena nodded, still sensing some apprehension in Minerva's presence. She continued on

"I've noticed you and Severus have been spending some time together lately. I don't know if he has mentioned it, probably not, but his birthday is this weekend. January the ninth. To my knowledge, he doesn't celebrate it and he never permitted Albus to announce it. But...there may be something different about your friendship that allows you to celebrate. I want Severus to know that he is appreciated. That he is necessary to our staff. You do with this information what you will, maybe it's not useful. But I think it is. Have a good night dear."

Serena smiled at the older woman, cheeks pinking up with delight. Minerva patted her knee, green velvet dress whispering across the ground.

Birthdays in her home had been huge celebrations. Her mother and father saved up all year; inviting the whole village to their church and feeding hundreds. There were games, candy, and food for a whole weekend. They of course stopped when she turned eleven.

No more parties, cards, or even acknowledgment of her existence. She didn't know which one she hated more. Her parents used her as an excuse to invite people over, to get them into their church. Their hearts may have been in the right place but it had jaded her to big festivities. To always believe that there was an underlying motive.

She wondered what Severus would like, if he had a chance to be appreciated? He had few friends, from what she had gathered. He didn't speak much about his past, he was sealed tight as a clam and she had to force herself not to pry.

She couldn't help it. Usually people found it easy to spill their innermost secrets to her, but he just as easily realized the effect she had on him. His barriers were iron clad and the only way anyone got in was if he let down the drawbridge.

Wand in the air, she focused her mind on the green tartan scarf that she was working on imparting her voice into. If this new charm succeeded, the scarf would speak her chosen words to the wearer, but not to anyone else. Silent to anyone except the wearers ears. The possibilities for this charm were endless; scarfs to lockets to toys to secret letters.

"Internum vocem..." wand flicked up, halfway down, quarter turn, swish up with only the wrist, light force "qui foris pax."

The scarf lit up with magic and then lay there. She took a deep breath and wrapped it around her neck, her voice sounding softly in her ears

"You are where I want to be. Stay with me."

"Hell yes!" she jumped up and spun around the room punching the air.

She pointed her wand at the scarf and whispered "finite" and the whispers ceased; "initio" and the words restarted. Her heart soared at the success of finally finding the right wand movements, voice inflection, and series of words to get the charm to work. Months worth of work; hours of frustration and creepy half voices instilled in random objects. The worst was a screaming clock that refused to be silenced. She took it to the mer-people at the lake who loved it and took it under the water.