Insomnia

The teacher and the student sat at the low table, contemplating the marble figures in front of them. Draco bit his nails thoughtfully and then, grinning, moved a knight, which made a satisfying clunk every time it came into contact with the smooth marble board until it had reached its goal.

"Check."

Snape looked up at his friend, and smiled sardonically. "Of course, Draco." His bishop swept out of nowhere, reducing the white knight to a small heap of debris on the board. "Checkmate."

"But..." Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Oh, fine."

Snape shook his hand, standing, and walked over to the whiskey decanter and poured two glasses. He handed one to his former pupil and sat on the green velvet sofa.

"So, Draco." He eyed his friend shrewdly. "Would you care to tell me what's caused your recent - and very welcome - good mood to disappate?"

Draco sighed and sipped his whiskey moodily. "You don't want to know."

Snape chuckled. "Indulge an old man. Come on, let me live vicariously through you for a while."

The blond man's lips twitched a little at his old teacher's martyr-like tones. "Oh, all right, then." He cleared his throat. "I've been seeing quite a bit of Hermione Granger recently."

Snape resisted the urge to tell Draco to get to the good parts, and nodded his head. "Ah yes. How is Miss Granger these days?"

Draco looked askance at Snape, recognising something in his tone that appeared to be knowing amusement. "She's...she's okay. She's writing a book." He shook his head, smiling. "History of the Death Eaters."

"Mmm." Snape sipped his drink. "A great scholar, Hermione Granger. One of those students that you wish would never graduate."

Draco gaped. "But...you hated her when we were at school."

The older man snorted. "Of course I didn't. She was the kind of person who needed a reason to do well. She worked harder because she thought I thought she couldn't do it."

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "My god. That's so...cruel."

"Really? Didn't she beat you in Potions in the NEWTs?"

Draco thinned his lips. "That didn't count. I'd been disowned. That could affect anyone's marks."

"Quite."

Draco glared at the older man's amused expression. "Are you going to let up?"

Snape smiled speculatively, swirling the whiskey around his glass. "Of course not, my boy."

After Draco had poured out the whole tawdry tale to his former professor, they sat companionably on the couch.

Snape watched his young friend with a sage expression on his face. "Well. You really have bollocksed it up this time, haven't you?"

The flabberghasted expression on Draco's face made him smile to himself, as he made a mental note to shock Draco more often in the future. You couldn't buy that kind of quality entertainment.

"That...that's not helping at all!" Draco spluttered, irritated that his mentor didn't appear to be taking this seriously.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Ah. I wasn't aware that I was supposed to offer advice. I thought I was meant to sit here and make soothing noises."

"Well...you aren't." Something very close to a pout was threatening to overtake Draco's mouth. Snape decided to put him out of his misery.

"Draco, just talk to her. Tell her everything you told me." He narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "She's good for you. You've been happy recently. Don't let it all go to nothing." He smiled. "Besides, if you're going to be gloomy at work, I'll sack you."

Draco sighed, defeated. "I suppose. It's just...all too much right now." He stood up, stretching his long legs. "Thanks for the game. And the advice." He grinned, with a twinkle in his eye. "And now I'll let you go, so you can gossip with Dumbledore."

Snape, with an air of wounded dignity, watched as Draco put his cloak on. "Really, Draco. you ought to know better. The Minister of Magic doesn't gossip. And neither do I." He stood to shake his friend's hand.

Draco snorted. "Of course not. You merely keep each other informed of what's going on with your old students, don't you?"

Snape held the door for him. "I'll see you at work on Monday, Malfoy. And you'll get points taken off you with that attitude."

The old teacher and his former pupil grinned at each other before Draco turned and walked away, pulling the hood up on his cloak to keep the rain off.