Heroes
by Mimbulus



Challenge: inspired by The Ambassadors by Holbein.
Notes: Betaed by sarcasm_aloud.


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“Ladies and Gentlemen! Today we celebrate the twentieth anniversary to the Dark Lord’s defeat.” This declaration was met with enthusiastic clapping and cheering. Percy waited for it to die down before continuing. “This day is made even more special because today, I am pleased to announce, is the day that Professors Harry Potter and Severus Snape will finally be presented with their long overdue Order of Merlin, First Class.” The clapping was much less enthusiastic this time around and the Minister of Magic blanched slightly as he noticed the coolness with which his announcement was received.

Not that he blamed the audience, after all, Harry Potter and Severus Snape had been very controversial participants in the war.

Besides, many of those gathered in that hall have been students of Professor Snape, or else they have heard tales about him from their children and his teaching methods did not earn him many fans. Rumor had it that Professor Potter was even less popular and liked than Professor Snape.

The noise died down quickly and Percy went on. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed the Professors glare daggers at one another. Rumor also had it that they weren’t very popular with each other either. “Twenty years ago, to the day -” he paused, looked theatrically at the large hour-glass and continued. “- To the very minute, as a matter of fact, Harry Potter, then known as The Boy Who Lived and Professor Snape, then known as Professor Snape –” (a few snickers were heard through the hall) “- accomplished the great heroic deed of vanquishing the Dark Lord. Together they stood and raised their wands in unison, overcoming barriers of mistrust and as one they chanted the spell that would rid the Dark Lord of his powers and render him vulnerable to their attack.” Percy paused, letting the echo of his suddenly impressive, booming voice die down dramatically.

Professor Potter rolled his eyes and murmured, “In unison my arse.”

Professor Snape smirked and murmured back, “Language, Potter.”

“What are you going to do, give me a detention?”

“And I suppose spanking you would be included in that nice little fantasy of yours?”

“My, Professor, I knew you were a perverted old man, but I didn’t think you were this perverted.”

“You do have a nice arse.”

“Why, thank you, Professor, you are most kind. I do have an arse one could bounce Galleons off.”

“The expression is ‘bounce Sickles off’, you nitwit.”

“I know.” Now it was Potter’s turn to smirk.

Those of a keener hearing sense among the audience might have heard low whispers, but they couldn’t quite locate the miscreant who dared interrupt the Minister’s speech.

“Side by side they stood as the Dark Lord perished in front of their very eyes and they looked in amazement at each other as the markings brought on them by He Who Must Not Be Named slowly faded away to nothingness, leaving behind only smooth, unmarred skin.”

Professor Potter fought for dear life against a yawn that threatened to dislocate his jaw. He wanted nothing more than to go to the nearest pub and get thoroughly pissed. An image of himself sharing that bottle with Professor Snape drifted gently to his mind, coaxing a small smile from his lips. Potter glanced sideways at Snape and saw that the trademark smirk was firmly in place.

The images drifted back and forth between the two men - neglecting the drink in favor of a tonsils-deep kiss, Potter tossing some coins on the counter… A delicate cough brought Potter back to the present. He opened his eyes and noticed that Percy was standing in front of him, clasped hands holding a box in front of him.

Potter knew what was expected of him. He had been part of the audience of dozens of such ceremonies. Apparently the Ministry felt that everyone who had taken a part of the second war and wasn’t a Death Eater deserved some sort of medal.

Potter stood up and remembered that day at the Leaky Cauldron, when Percy greeted him the same way that he imagined a mayor would. He saw Fred sitting at one of the front tables; he was staring at some point in the distance to the left of Potter. Fred hadn’t been the same since George died. Percy, on the other hand, was in his element. Dress robes, shiny shoes, impeccable hair - Potter supposed he should’ve known Percy would’ve ended up being Minister of Magic. He wished the collar of his formal Auror robes, which he hadn’t worn in ten years, wouldn’t be so tight around his neck. A voice, sounding remarkably like Snape’s said in his mind, ”You’ve gone to seed, Potter.”

“Professor Harry Potter,” declared Percy. “I hereby present you with this humble token of gratitude –” Potter breathed in relief. For a moment there he feared that he would have to stand through one of Percy’s monologues detailing his Great Heroic Deeds. “For fighting and defeating the Dark Lord and his Army of Darkness.” Percy made another dramatic pause. “The Order of Merlin, First Class!”

Potter lowered his head and then he felt the medal weighing heavily around his neck. He straightened up to the sound of subdued clapping from the audience. Hermione was there, taking notes furiously, while her Quick Quotes Quill also scribbled back and forth on a floating roll of parchment. At least Hermione’s Quick Quotes Quill hadn’t been rigged to make a Greek Tragedy out of whatever was going on at the time.

Then Percy stood next to him, so the photographers could have their photo opportunity. The camera flashes blinded Potter and dark smudges swam in his vision. Percy went to stand in front of Snape and Potter sat back down on his chair. One down, one to go, Potter thought.

The camera flashes blinded the already myopic Professor as the Minister stood next to him, posing for the photographers. Then, everything went silent. Oh, he realized, after a few moments, they want a speech.

Potter could just feel Snape smirking at him. After all, the Professor knew what was coming. Well, if speech is what they want, speech is what they’ll get.

Potter took a deep breath, held the medal in his hand and plunged in. “I would like to dedicate this… thing -” OK, now I feel like I’m winning a bloody Oscar. “- To the following people:”

Everybody held their breaths, expecting Potter to mention names such as “Dumbledore”, “Granger” and “Weasley”.

Potter made a point of looking into the eyes of as many people as possible as he recited, “Peter Pettigrew, the Crabbe family, the Goyle family, the Bulstrode family, the Malfoy family, the Lestrange family, the Nott family and last, but not least, Lord Voldemort.” (Everybody flinched on cue) The hall was deathly silent. Potter imagined that all the people listening to his speech through the WWN were also speechless. He went on, “I would also like to apologize to them for ending their lives and destroying their families. I killed people in a war, I do not deserve any medals for it, nor do I want any.” With that final word he took the medal in his hand and gave it back to the shocked Minister.

The silence was interrupted only by Percy, who shook himself and started addressing Professor Snape in a significantly subdued manner.

Professor Snape’s idea of a speech was to smirk and say, “The eloquent Professor Potter summed it up quite nicely, I believe.”

Following Potter’s example, Snape gave the medal back to Percy and walked out of the hall. Potter got up and followed closely behind. Both their cloaks billowed behind them. Potter has learned that impressive skill from Snape sometime in the past ten years.

As soon as he and Snape were out of the cameras’ range, Potter spun Snape around by the shoulder, held him in place by grabbing a fistful of his collar and kissed him.

Snape indulged Potter for a few moments and then he pulled Potter gently away. “So,” he said in the tone that Potter liked to call his ‘shag me baby’ voice. “I believe we have an appointment with a pint or six.”

Potter nodded.

“You know where to go,” Snape said and Disapparated, just as Potter became aware of the approaching reporters and photographers. He decided to make a hasty retreat to the pub that he and Snape often went to, while he still had the chance of not being followed.

~Fin~


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