Writing Contest One Shots

2) Under the Mistletoe

Minerva clenched her teeth. As she'd predicted. As if! She wasn't as naive as her students to place her faith in Sybil Trelawney's 'predictions.' Thank God Miss Granger had enough sense to steer clear away from her. The whole Lockhart incident had had her worried. "Well, I'm sure your 'predictions' can show you the other pairs. Why don't you tell me?"

"Alright," Sybill cleared her throat and hung another wreath on the wall, adjusting it. "Miss Weasley and Mr Corner," She walked back to the podium. "I can feel they'll become a fine pair, but not for long though." Sybill hoped she was right as her abilities didn't seem as strong as before. It didn't help that people kept doubting her powers. I'm the granddaughter of Cassandra Trelawney for goodness sake! How dare they doubt my predictions?

Minerva rolled her eyes and waved her wand, sticking a wreath high up on the ceiling. Any idiot could see those two will get together soon. Who did she think she was fooling? "Who else?"

"I'm—I'm not sure," Sybill stuttered. "Draco Malfoy and... Luna Lovegood! Yes, they will have lots of children... Three, yes I'm sensing three! Blonde ones too." Keep going Sybill, you're doing great!

A laugh almost burst out of Minerva, but she managed to choke it down with a cough. "Mr Malfoy and Miss Lovegood? Why, that'll be a sight to see. I wonder if their three children would wear dirigible plum earrings and have pet snorkacks. '' Lucius Malfoy will certainly enjoy that. A grin burst out of her before she could stop it. Ahh, it had been a while since she'd heard of anything so ridiculous. Even if she did teach Ron Weasley twice a week. She'd never had such a nonsensical student before him. "Tell me, what about our youngest Mr Weasley, Ron?"

"Can't be sure about Ronald... I'm sensing he doesn't even like girls..." Sybill stretched out her hand with a flourish. "But I see..." Her eyes appeared gigantic behind her thick glasses.  "Yes, Miss Granger with Mr Weasley," Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Right, too many Weasleys... it could be all of them!" Her voice squeaked. "No... Not all of them, I'm sensing one of the twins." She closed her eyes. "Oh yes, I can see it clearly now..." She opened her eyes. "Fred Weasley!"

Minerva chuckled before she could stop herself. "Maybe you're right about Ron Weasley. He and Mr Malfoy have been through many a quarrel before, perhaps they were lover's quarrels and we've all just been blind." Sybill nodded fervently. "But Fred Weasley and Miss Granger? Never!"

"As I said, Minerva, I can see Miss Granger happy with Fred Weasley... I can see it all, Minerva." Her voice dropped to a hiss and her forehead wrinkled with consternation. "I'm telling you the truth, but you'll just need to wait and see. Not for long now." She lifted her chin.

Minerva scoffed and waved her wand in an aggressive motion, sticking little bells onto the parapets with a sharp clink. "Fine then, let's make a bet out of it, shall we? Ten galleons Miss Lovegood stays single this year and ten galleons Mr Malfoy ends up with the younger Miss Greengrass by summer. And let's see, ten more that Fred Weasley and Miss Johnson stay a couple while Miss Granger remains single before her sixth year. What about you?"

Soft footsteps sounded behind them before Sybill could answer. "Well well, what do we have here?" Severus' drawling voice echoed across the Great Hall. Sybill jumped and regarded him with wide frightened eyes. "Making bets are we? I do think those are against the new school rules."

Minerva smirked. As if Severus even cared about Umbridge's new rules. She'd seen the looks he'd given her behind her back and the 'illegal' items he'd distributed to his Slytherins when they'd asked. Sometimes she wondered when Severus was going to snap and poison her. Minerva had already bought champagne to celebrate the event. "You're welcome to join in. We're betting on the would-be couples this year."

"I bet on my prophecies, to show you that I truly have the sight." Sybill glanced between her colleagues and cleared her throat. "But my current financial situation... isn't great. So I will bet my crystals," she said proudly, the look on her face daring them to protest. But the two simply rolled their eyes. "And what about Miss Chang and Harry Potter?"

Minerva nodded "Ten more galleons they kiss before the break!"

Severus plucked one of the leaves from the mistletoe sprigs and regarded it with disdain. "Potter and Miss Chang? He's too much of a dunce to kiss any girl this year and she's still pining after Diggory. I bet a vial of any potion you ask me to make that the two never kiss and you better be prepared to lose ten galleons." Severus smirked. "As for Draco, I say he and Miss Selwyn will be a couple soon. I bet another vial." Little did his colleagues know the two were already together. He'd caught them in several broom cupboards this past month and that Selwyn girl's odd cat-like screeching still haunted his nightmares. Severus shuddered.

Another set of footsteps sounded behind them and they turned around to see Professor Flitwick striding towards them unsteadily. "Nice job ladies," Filius looked around in awe, one hand clutching a bottle and his words slightly drawn out. "...And Severus." He grinned at the man, shaking his head. "What are you betting on? Vials of what?" He chuckled.

"On the future couples this year," Sybill answered.

Flitwick smirked through his drunken stupor. I might win something. He knew about a few couples already, Harry and Cho were always ogling at each other, and he'd caught Fred and Angelina in the broom cupboard beside Ravenclaw tower just this morning. Good thing they didn't find his firewhiskey. He smacked his lips, savouring the aftertaste of the strong liqueur. "So who're we betting on?"

"When and if Harry Potter and Cho Chang will kiss— Minerva says before Christmas, Severus says never— as well as who Miss Lovegood, Granger, Mr Malfoy and Ron Weasley would pair up with. I say Fred Weasley with Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood with Mr Malfoy," Sybill said.

He stared at her enormous eyes. Besides the famous last name she'd gotten divorced over, Filius was sure she didn't have any relation to the gift. Especially considering how bogus her predictions about the love lives of the teens were. Then he glanced at Minerva. "I'm betting my finest firewhiskey on Harry Potter and Cho Chang kissing just after Christmas break.'' Cho's still too distraught over Cedric to kiss him any sooner.

The Professors continued to bicker and bet as they decorated and it was almost midnight by the time Minerva made her way up the staircase towards Gryffindor tower, clutching a single sprig of mistletoe. She dearly wanted to take a relaxing bath with a wine glass or two. But first, she had a detour to make.

She walked down the left seventh-floor corridor thrice, wishing for the DA's secret room. Oh yes, all the heads of houses knew about it and kept a mutual agreement of not telling Umbridge. Even Severus, who professed his hate for Harry every chance he got. He simply despised Umbridge more. Minerva entered the vast room and, with a swish of her wand, hung the mistletoe right above the podium where Harry Potter would stand on to teach the last DA class before the break.

Now, all she had to do was keep her ears glued to the Hogwarts' rumour mill on the boy-who-lived's first kiss. That firewhiskey will be mine.

A/N: This was co-written with OutOfMyImagination.