Vacation

"Shit!" That was the third one that night.

"Did you just botch another potion?!"

"What do you think?!"

"Girl!" He swept over to look at my masterpiece. "I swear to Circe, you are completely incapable of doing anything correctly."

"Me?" I was incredulous. "Me, incapable of doing anything correctly?" I turned around to glare at him properly. "You accuse me of being incapable?"

"Are you hard of hearing as well?" He towered over me.

"Not at all, old man, I just believe your memory is playing tricks on you. If I´m incapable, you´re a first year! This is only my third ruined potion tonight, you´ve already bungled five!"

"The level of magic I am performing exceeds yours infinitely." He stressed his exasperation. "All you´re doing is mixing simplistic ingredients together with a low level of concentration. I´m not only mixing, I´m concentrating my energy to the point where I need a wand!"

"Ah, I see, you´ve been demeaned to the level of `foolish wand waving,´ eh?" I tilted my head arrogantly. "No wonder you´re so cranky, old man."

His eyes shot daggers at me. I smirked at him. "If you think," he hissed, "for one moment, you can rile me..."

I set a freezing spell on my cauldron and faced him once more. "Oh, but haven´t I already, Sev?" He hated the nickname. "Haven´t I brought you to the level of frustration," I leaned in and spoke softly, "where you could succumb?"

He scowled at me. "Watch your words, girl, or I may--"

"Good Morning all!" An unwelcome ray of sunshine spilled into the room in the form of Albus Dumbledore.

"´Morning, Albus," came our simultaneous grumble. He bustled around the cauldrons, and set down a tray with two hot chocolates.

Then the realization hit me. "Morning?"

"Why yes, Hermione, it’s approximately seven o’clock. We all assumed you two had fallen asleep here instead of in your chambers."

Severus looked as though you could knock him over with a feather. "Seven o’clock? We worked through the entire night and this is all we have accomplished?" He indicated our multiple cauldrons.

"All we have accomplished?" I turned back to him.

He gave me a hard look. "You heard me correctly."

"You make it sound as though we did absolutely nothing all night!"

"Well this can hardly be considered anything!"

"You can apply your ludicrous standards to yourself all you want but you have no right to impose them on me!"

"Standards? How did you manage to get out of Greenwich with such low expectations, Hermione?"

A light chuckle interrupted our quarrel. "Now, now, what you both need is to take a little break." Albus was positively glowing despite our demeanors. I dropped my head.

"Fine," I muttered. "See you in ten hours." I looked up at Severus fleetingly, "All right, Sev?"

He glowered at me. "Just peachy, `Mione."

I gave him a positively poisononous smile and made to leave the dungeon.

"If I may have just another moment of your time, Hermione." I turned around once more to face Albus this time. "This includes you too, Severus."

Severus had been making his quiet departure and spitefully turned to face Albus as well. "Yes, headmaster?"

"By a little break, I meant a bit more than ten hours..." He smiled warmly at both of us, receiving identical glares.

"Really Albus, why don´t we simply go on a two week vacation in the states?" Severus turned to me with his sarcasm still full on. "Oh ´Mione, darling, wouldn´t a trip to Old Faithful be charming, I have had a desire to go to Wyoming for the longest time now..."

"That would be delightful, dearest! I shall fetch the children and begin packing at once!" I clasped my hands together in mock excitement.

We both turned to Albus to see how he received our show.

"Splendid!" He clapped his hands in imitation of my previous movements. "The arrangements for your vacation will be made at once!"