Characters: Hermione and others. Words: 200 Rating: G Note: Non-DH compliant.
Hermione knew it was childish, but she also couldn’t resist: every October, she made a point of hunting for the most jaundiced-looking pumpkin in Persephone Appledunk’s inventory. Each year, she took happily spent hours carving a very distinctive scowl on it that invariably prompted a faint shudder from Neville, a "why aren’t you using magic" from Ron, and a friendly smirk from Harry. She did resort to magic, however, when it was time to illuminate the jack-o'lantern and to crown it with a mop of greasy yet flame-resistant hair.
She also took great pleasure in creating the wards necessary to repel righteous would-be vandals; it saddened her to witness how many people would always hate Severus, but she was not above being amused at their attempts to escape the steel-strength toilet paper nets and the fusillades of eggs automatically triggered by unauthorised contact with her chosen pumpkin.
A bushy-haired lantern habitually occupied the spot to the left to the stringy-haired one, and Severus's charms to protect it were usually even powerful and malicious than those of Hermione's invention.
"You drenched them all with neon pumpkin lube?" Hermione could not stop giggling.
"And it's not soluble in water," Severus serenely said.